Dance of the Full Moon
by Sakura Hanamoto
Summary: An unfortunate accident has permanently changed eight year-old Harry Potter. What changes will this cause for him and everyone else? Slightly AU. Rated for violence and language later on.
1. 0:1 :: Bite to Break Skin

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 1: Bite to Break Skin

Eight-year-old Harry Potter had long since learned to keep out of the way of his relatives throughout the week. It had become a part of his daily routine, and they knew and just let it be, after all, the less they had to look at the "freak", the better.

Every morning, during the school year, Harry would get up early enough to get ready for school and make breakfast. He'd also figured out that the Dursleys always seemed to know when he snuck a piece of bacon, or a bite of eggs, so he settled for a single slice of sparsely buttered toast for breakfast. Once the table was set for breakfast, he'd wash the dishes as the rest of the household awoke. Just when the pounding of Dudley's fat feet began to resound coming down the stairs, Harry bolted from the house, running to school, an old notebook, with yellowing paper held in his hand, and a pencil with a worn down eraser in the pocket of his over-sized jeans.

He didn't have to see Dudley until class actually started, and only had to put up with the blonde boy and his gang during recess and lunch. Harry never ate lunch, instead he just sat, staring into nothing and ignoring the growling from his stomach.

Once class was over for the day, Harry hurried to the nearest library, Dudley, and none of his friends would ever set foot in a library, so he was safe from them there. He settled in at a table near the back and got to work on his homework. On occasion, the one librarian, Mrs. Miller would help him with something he didn't understand, but usually, she left him to his own devices, knowing the boy wouldn't get into any trouble. When the school work was complete he'd browse the shelves for something to read.

Harry had discovered the library purely by accident about two years before; he'd been running from Dudley, he was exhausted and there was a stitch in his side that was slowing him down. He'd wished to reach somewhere safe, and as if by magic, he'd somehow ended up standing before the front entrance of the library. He practically slammed into the doors in his hurry to hide. Dudley had never found him, nor did he ever figure out where his smaller cousin went everyday since then.

Although his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were convinced that Harry was an idiot and would never amount to anything, just like his useless mother and dead beat father, Harry was reading at the adult level, and capable of using vocabulary most average adults had never heard of. He simply chose not to, if only to avoid unnecessary attention being brought on him. If anything, most other people who knew of this could have called him a genius, or a prodigy in just about any field.

Mrs. Miller was attempting a new recipe she'd acquired from a friend, she'd spent close to twenty years begging for it, and when she finally got her hands on it, she had a hard time getting it right. Following the directions to the letter didn't seem to help either. She approached Harry with the silence and grace of a cat, which was an accomplishment for her age.

"Harry dear, could you give me some advice with a recipe that I just can't seem to figure out?" she requested. Harry looked up from the fantasy novel resting in his hands and smiled.

"Certainly," Harry closed the book and slid it back onto the shelf. Mrs. Miller led him to the back room where Mrs. Miller had been eating. She sat the raven haired boy down and he lifted the fork and took a bite. He frowned thoughtfully as he chewed before taking two more bites. Mrs. Miller handed him the note card the recipe was written on, and he skimmed over it. He took one more bite, chewed slowly and swallowed.

"Well?" Mrs. Miller waited expectantly, but patiently.

"Did you put enough salt and basil?" Harry asked her as he examined the plate of food before him. It was delicious of course, but it felt incomplete to him in some way. The recipe was for some kind of casserole that was supposed to be a full meal on its own.

"Yes, the exact amount," she replied. Harry thought for a moment longer, leaning back in the chair.

"Add a pinch of paprika, to give it a little kick," he said slowly. Mrs. Miller nodded, and Harry went back to his browsing.

XxXxXxX

Harry always left the library at five thirty sharp, any later would get him in trouble. His aunt and uncle didn't care if he never came home, but he was supposed to make dinner every night, unless there was company, then Aunt Petunia did it and locked Harry away in his cupboard. He shivered and pulled his shirt closer to his body, winter was coming in fast, and as a result, the sun was nearly completely set.

Harry turned the corner and glanced up at the sky, it was a clear moonlit night. The moon was full, casting an eerie pale glow over everything. He was on the street that Mrs. Figg lived on. She was the batty old woman who owned a ridiculous amount of cats. She used to baby-sit Harry when the Dursley's didn't want to take him with them to some event. Harry paused when he heard a few leaves crackle, but passed it off as nothing. He continued on his way. There was a rustle in the hedges in the nearby alley and a deep, low growl accompanied it. Harry halted and stared fearfully.

From the bushes, the largest dog he'd ever seen in his life stepped forward, maw agape, and saliva dripping in large rivulets from its long teeth. Harry took a step back as it slowly advanced on him. It stepped into the light of the moon and Harry bit down on his lip to keep from screaming, this couldn't possibly be a dog. It was just too large, and its anatomy was nothing like a normal dog's, the legs were overly long, and by the shape of its hind legs, it could stand on them without much difficulty with balance. Harry continued to retreat, his hands brought up in a surrendering gesture.

"N-nice doggy," he murmured quietly. His breath coming out in puffs of steam. It continued to come closer, Harry stepped on a twig and its growling increased in volume and took on a far more threatening tone. "That's a good doggy." Harry continued. Honestly, he saw no point, a dog couldn't understand him, and this one showed no signs of running off. Harry continued to back up until he ran into a light post. The dog halted for a moment, and then it pounced.

XxXxXxX

Jennifer Thomas was a woman that could not be surprised or horrified by any type of injury. Being a doctor for the last twelve years had seen to that, but what she found on her front lawn as she stepped outside to head to work would haunt her for the rest of her days.

A small, thin boy, dressed in what looked to be old, ratty, baggy clothing lay on her lawn. But what shocked her most was that the blood-stained clothing on his entire right side had been torn away to reveal the skin underneath. Adding to the picture was a horrendously large bite on his bicep and long, deep scratches on his chest.

"Oh my God," she dropped her briefcase and her thermos of coffee and ran across the wet lawn towards the boy. Kneeling by his side, she checked for a pulse, trying to calm her racing heart. Upon finding a very weak pulse, she ran into the house and called to her husband. "Ben, call an ambulance!" She cried. Her husband, who had been sitting at the dining room table, finishing up a cup of coffee leaped up to see what was wrong. The sight that greeted him made him pale and run back inside. He grabbed the phone and dialed.

Ten minutes later, and ambulance was blaring down the street. By now, a rather large crowd of people had gathered as Jennifer did her best to stop the bleeding. It was a miracle the boy was even alive. The crowd parted for the paramedics rolling the gurney across the lawn. Jennifer rose and spoke to one of them.

"I'm Dr. Jennifer Thomas," she introduced herself.

"Dr. Thomas, how is he?"

"Barely alive, the fact that he's still breathing is a miracle, please, hurry, I'll follow behind you in my car," she told the paramedic. He nodded and helped load the small boy into the back.

XxXxXxX

Vernon Dursley was a man that refused to be called a "looky-loo", but he couldn't quell his curiosity as he passed by the Thomas home to see an ambulance parked outside. He parked his car and hopped out, if anything, at least he'd have something of interest to tell Petunia when he got home from work. He pushed through the crowd just as the paramedics were loading a small form into the back of the ambulance. He caught a glimpse of wild black hair and the remains of Dudley's hand-me-downs.

"Boy!" he snarled as he approached the paramedics. The three men loading the boy looked up as they were securing the gurney.

"Sir? Do you know this boy?" the one that had been speaking to Jennifer asked.

"Know him? That's my nephew; he never came home last night!" Vernon roared, his face slowly turning red. The paramedic raised an eyebrow.

"You never bothered to call the police and tell them that your nephew was missing?" he questioned the larger man. Vernon looked away from Harry's still form and turned his heated gaze to the paramedic.

"I hadn't thought of it, it's probably his own fault," Vernon muttered. "He's been nothing but an inconvenience to me and my wife since the day he was dumped on our doorstep when his good for nothing parents died." His face had gone from red to an interesting shade of maroon in his agitation.

"Very well, what is your name sir?" the paramedic questioned while the others rushed to finish and jumped into the back, closing the doors as they did. The driver started up the ambulance and turned on the siren.

"Vernon Dursley," the large man said through gritted teeth. The paramedic nodded before jumping into the passenger side of the ambulance and it drove off, taking Harry with it. Jennifer pulled out of the driveway and followed behind the ambulance closely.

XxXxXxX

Harry felt numb, everything was fuzzy, but the lights made his head throb uncomfortably. The bed he lay on was much more comfortable than the pile of rags and blankets he used as a mattress at home. Just as he finished his thought, he attempted to sit up, only to cry out in pain. A nearby door opened and the sound of foot steps approached.

"Try not to move Harry, you're too injured still," a kindly female voice spoke to him. He allowed himself to relax a bit.

"What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that. I was leaving for work yesterday morning and found you on my front lawn," the voice spoke. "I'm Dr. Jennifer Thomas by the way." She told him.

"Harry Potter," he responded, his voice coming out in a hoarse croak. Jennifer picked up a paper cup with a straw inserted in it and held it to the boy's lips. Harry drank the water greedily, glad to quench his thirst. Memories from two nights ago came flooding back to him. "I was attacked by a really big dog." Harry told the doctor once he finished drinking.

"Can you describe it?"

"Its legs were really long, and it was skinny and tall. It was a grayish color, but it was dark so I couldn't really tell. And its teeth were really long."

"Tell me Harry, was it having a hard time standing, was it falling over, or foaming from the mouth?" she asked him softly.

"No, it looked healthy, I guess, I don't think it had rabies anyway."

"I see, thank you Harry, that saves us a bit of trouble, you rest for now, you lost a lot of blood, I'll come back once you're awake again," Harry nodded and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to claim him.

XxXxXxX

Jennifer walked down the halls of the hospital. Harry had been drifting between life and death since he'd been loaded into the ambulance. His condition hadn't stabilized until yesterday afternoon when the blood transplants had been completed.

She closed the door to her office and wasn't surprised to see a tawny owl sitting on the ledge of her open window, a scroll of parchment tied to its leg. She took the scroll from it and the tawny nipped her finger affectionately as she reached for an owl treat. It took its reward gratefully and munched on it. Sitting down she unrolled the scroll and opened it up.

_Dear Jennifer Thomas,_

_Thank you for informing me of this new development. I'm grateful to you for finding him before it was too late. Please let me know when I could come and pay him a visit, and also keep me informed of his condition._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Jennifer sighed, based on Harry's description; the "dog" was a hell of a lot more than just a dog. She got up and pulled a book from her shelf and flipped through it. Unlike most other books, this one related certain types of bites that one didn't find often in the Muggle world. She found what she was looking for and massaged her temples. The dog that had attacked Harry wasn't a dog at all, it was a werewolf.

"Bloody hell, this boy is in for a rough life," Jennifer murmured before reaching for a clean sheet of paper and a pen on her desk and began to write.

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_There has been an unexpected development; the bite Harry received was from that of a werewolf. If it is possible, I would like a professional to come and take a look to see if he has contracted the Lycanthrope Virus, and where we should go from here if he has._

_Sincerely,_

_Jennifer Thomas_

She folded the letter and slipped it into an envelope. Addressing it to the old man, she tied it to the owl's leg and watched it disappear into the afternoon sky.

XxXxXxX

When Harry next awoke, it was to the sound of his stomach rumbling loudly. 'So hungry.' He thought as he turned his head in search of someone. The first thing he noticed was that he was seeing everything with crystal clarity despite the fact that his glasses were not present. The next thing was that the smells of the room and the area nearby was beginning to overwhelm him. Harry winced as he sat up and looked down at himself. His chest was bare, while five long gashes trailing from just below his left collar bone down to his belly were stitched up and thick heavy bandages were wrapped around his midsection and right arm.

"Oh, Harry, you're awake," Harry turned to see the female doctor he had spoken to before. She looked to be in her early forties, with long brown hair pulled into a ponytail. She smiled at him and stepped forward. The boy noticed a man standing behind Jennifer, he was dressed in a white lab coat like the one Jennifer wore, and underneath it was a button down shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Hello Dr. Thomas," Harry said. Jennifer approached his bed and moved to the side so that Harry could see the man clearly.

"Harry, this is Dr. Edward Blackmoore, he's here to perform a test on you," Jennifer explained.

"What kind of test?" Harry asked her.

"It's a simple test to see if you've caught anything from that dog that attacked you," Dr. Blackmoore spoke up. "Don't worry son, it's perfectly harmless and shouldn't take any more than five minutes." Harry nodded.

"Okay then," Harry said.

"Great, Dr. Thomas, could you please shut the blinds," Dr. Blackmoore requested. Jennifer quickly drew the blinds of the window that looked out into the hallway and stepped outside to speak to a nurse before reentering.

"Okay Dr. Blackmoore, go ahead," she gave Harry a reassuring smile when his eyes told her that he was a little nervous.

"Now Harry, I need you to lie back down and close your eyes," Dr. Blackmoore told him. Harry quickly did so. As his eyes closed he caught a glimpse of a vial Dr. Blackmoore was pulling from his pocket, whatever it was, it was bright silver. He felt some cool liquid dripping lightly onto his chest. "Don't worry Dr. Thomas; this won't affect his stitches at all." The man told her. "Now then, here's the moment of truth." The doctor drew his wand from his other pocket and held the tip to the pool of silver liquid on Harry's chest. Whatever he murmured was too quiet for the other two in the room to hear. "Oh my, Dr. Thomas, please contact the Professor, I'll explain things to young Harry here." With a flick of his wrist, the silver disappeared from Harry's chest and tucked his wand away. "You can go ahead and open your eyes now Harry." Harry did so and sat up again.

"So, what's wrong?" the black haired boy asked softly.

"Well Harry, the dog that attacked you wasn't a dog at all," Dr. Blackmoore told him as he pulled the chair against the wall towards the bed.

"It wasn't?"

"No, it was a werewolf," the man told Harry.

"A werewolf? But they don't exist!" Harry exclaimed.

"They do exist Harry; I wouldn't expect you to believe me since you've grown up with Muggles, but rest assured they really do exist."

'Muggles? What's that?' Harry asked himself. He didn't ask the question aloud but chose to listen to the doctor instead.

"But, you're quite lucky though, a special medicine has recently been perfected that you can take to help with your problem."

"Will it get rid of whatever I have?"

"No, no, we haven't come far enough to curing the Lycanthrope Virus yet, however, this medicine will at least make you a tame werewolf when you change," Dr. Blackmoore told him.

"Change? Like at the full moon?"

"Precisely, I'm certain that Dr. Thomas can provide the medicine for you. Now, I'm sure you're quite hungry, I've noticed that IV drips are hardly satisfying to the appetite, so I'll go ahead and have someone bring up some food."

"But, what is this Lycanthrope Virus? Does this mean I'll always be a werewolf?" Harry asked.

"Unfortunately yes, you will remain a werewolf. Unless a cure is found during your lifetime, then this is your fate. But to answer your first question, the Lycanthrope Virus is an infection that can be passed on in two ways. First, is if you bite someone while in werewolf form, they will contract the virus; it is very rare for it to not happen. The second method is if a werewolf and another normal person have a child together, there's a chance that the virus will pass on to the child. It is because of this that the werewolf population is not permitted to marry or have children.

There are many laws concerning werewolves, so many people see them only as monsters, prejudice is still very strong in this world, you will find when you get older that there are some people would only want to kill you because of what you are." Dr. Blackmoore rose and have Harry's uninjured arm a reassuring squeeze. "You will also find people who will accept you for who you are, myself, and Dr. Thomas are two of those people. Now, I will get you something to eat, and I wish you luck in the future Harry Potter." The older man stepped from the room and disappeared.

XxXxXxX

When Harry was released from the hospital, the Dursleys had been reluctant to pick him up. However they did, not wanting to get in trouble for neglecting the boy. When they arrived, Dr. Thomas spoke to his aunt and uncle about changes in Harry's diet and what they needed to do in order for him to remain under their roof. Once it was time to go, she gave Harry a hug. Harry gave no response, unsure of what to do. She released him and smiled.

"I'll be by in two weeks to give you your medicine, I'll see you until then Harry, and remember, no one is supposed to know about it, okay? You and your family can get in a lot of trouble if anyone else is to know."

"I understand," Harry told her. "Until I see you again Dr. Thomas." He waved to her as he slid into the seat beside Dudley and the family drove off.

**Okay, so this is my first attempt at a Harry Potter fanfic, so please don't be too hard on me. All types of reviews are welcome, including flames. Insults don't bug me too much. Anyway, each chapter title will be the title of a song that either the title or the lyrics have something to do with the chapter. First person to guess correctly will get a cookie! Please review and tell me if I'm doing something wrong, but don't just say that this story sucks or something. That pisses me off. Thank you for reading.**


	2. 0:2 :: Blow Me Away

Title

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 2: Blow Me Away

Two weeks later found Harry sitting at the dinner table with a glass of…something sitting before him. He looked up at Jennifer, his eyes speaking for him. "Don't worry Harry, it's perfectly safe," she told him, pushing the glass closer to him. Harry swallowed audibly and with slightly shaky hands lifted the glass and bringing it to his lips. "You'd best hurry Harry, once the moon has fully risen, it'll be too late." These words convinced him. Harry threw his head back and swallowed the Wolfsbane potion in one go. He slammed the glass down on the table and shuddered visibly.

"This stuff's horrid!" he cried as he scraped his tongue against his teeth in an attempt to get rid of the taste.

"Well, medicine isn't supposed to taste good, and I suspect it never will, you've done fine these past two weeks so far Harry, I'll see you later, and good luck tonight," Jennifer gave him a hug before leaving, nodding to the Dursleys who sat in the sitting room, eyes never leaving the television. Harry washed the glass out and quickly retreated to his cupboard. He shivered and curled up on his blankets and shut his eyes.

An hour later, a scream ripped through the house, making the Dursleys jump in surprise. Harry's bones popped and snapped as they reshaped themselves. His back arched in pain and his skin itched as his hair shortened and turned to fur and it sprouted from the rest of his body. His clothing ripped and a tail sprouted from the base of his spine. His moans and quiet screams came out as whines and whimpers now as his vocal chords and voice box reshaped itself.

XxXxXxX

Harry remained curled on the blankets until the moon set and the sun rose in the morning. Slowly, the transformation reversed itself and with a groan he pushed himself up. His joints and muscles protested the movement and he flopped back down to rest for a bit. Once he regained his senses, Harry quickly dressed and got up to make the family breakfast. He was lucky it was the weekend since he felt weak, exhausted, and sore from his first transformation. If there was one good thing that came from being a werewolf, it was that he no longer needed his glasses, he'd gleefully thrown them out when he'd found out.

Harry quickly got some bacon frying as he prepared some eggs for an omelet. Dudley soon came pounding down the stairs and sat at the table watching Harry. The smaller boy quickly and skillfully set the table just as Vernon and Petunia joined their son at the table. Harry grabbed a slice of toast and a piece of bacon before retreating to his cupboard until he had to come out and do the chores.

XxXxXxX

Harry pushed himself back and forth slightly on the swing. He'd finished his chores and quickly escaped the house. The park was silent, and Harry found himself bored. After the transformation his body was still a bit sore and the lack of sleep was catching up to him. He ceased any movement and shut his eyes hoping that it would help a bit.

Harry awoke as he tumbled off the swing when a fist collided with his chin. His head whipped back and he groaned as he hit the ground, legs entangled in the swing's chain.

"Get up Potter!" Dudley ordered as one of his gang picked Harry up and held onto the small boy. Harry wrenched free of their grip, but before they could grab at him again, Harry lashed out with his own well aimed punch. The group of boys stared at him in shock.

"What's the matter Dudley? Don't think you're so tough without your goons backing you up eh?" Harry grinned maliciously. Dudley attempted another punch only for his fist to be caught in Harry's hand. "Too slow." Harry retaliated. Seeing that their leader was on the ground, the other boys jumped Harry. He did his best to fight them off, but there was too many of them and he was still tired.

"Hey! Break it up! Break it up!" a male voice yelled as a taller man came running towards the throng of boys, pulling them away from Harry. The boy was curled in a ball, arms protecting his head from injury. "You okay kid?" He asked. A single green eye popped open and it swiveled around to look at the man. "Get up kid." Harry hastily jumped to his feet in response. He dusted his clothes off and straightened them properly.

"I'm fine sir, thanks," Harry replied to his earlier question.

"No need for that 'sir' stuff, I'm only twenty-two after all. What's your name kid?" he asked. Harry noted that the man was clearly of some oriental descent, but his accent was different.

"Harry Potter," Harry answered.

"Jonathan Tanigawa, but you can call me Jon," the older male said extending his hand to Harry. He quickly shook it.

"I don't mean to be rude, but you're not from around here are you?" Harry asked nervously.

"Nope! I'm from California actually. I'm here visiting relatives," Jon replied. Harry nodded. "What was that all about anyway?" Jon asked, looking off in the direction Dudley had run off to.

"Just my cousin and his buddies, that's all," Harry told him.

"You make it sound like that's normal."

"Well it is, but this is the first time I've actually fought back."

"What? It certainly didn't look like that was the first time, Hell, you were showing potential to be a real fighter one day," Jon said. Harry blinked. Honestly, he didn't think he would have fought back the way he had. In fact, he probably wouldn't have at all normally. He wondered if it had anything to being a werewolf. "Do you know anything about martial arts?" Jon asked him abruptly.

"No, not really, just what I've seen in movies," Harry told him. Jon waved his hand dismissively.

"Half the stuff they do in movies doesn't work in real life these days. Anyway, how about I teach you a little," Jon suggested.

"Really?" the boy looked up at him in surprise.

"Sure why not? I told my cousin I probably won't be back until sunset anyway."

"Okay then, what do I do?" Harry smiled widely, and Jon chuckled at his eagerness.

XxXxXxX

Nearly three years later, Jon had ended up moving to Little Whinging, not too far from the Dursleys, in a small one bedroom flat. Harry came in as often as he could to keep learning karate, and other martial art styles. From that one chance meeting in the park up until then Harry had progressed to a point that Dudley had given up on trying to beat Harry up. Of course this only caused more rumors to spring up about how Harry was some kind of delinquent. He simply ignored all the rumors because he knew they were just Dudley's last attempt at trying to control him in some way.

Petunia and Vernon couldn't care-less about where Harry was during the nearly four hour long sessions he was with Jon as long as he didn't come home in the backseat of a police car. That would make them look bad in front of the neighbors.

Harry had even found the courage to tell Jon about the Lycanthrope Virus, the older man had just grinned and ruffled his hair. Harry knew that he didn't believe him, but then again, no sane person would.

The day dawned to Harry being awoken to dust falling onto his body. His cousin was jumping up and down on the stairs. Harry groaned and rose, knowing that he needed to cook breakfast while his relatives showered attention onto Dudley. After all, it was Dudley's eleventh birthday today.

Harry dressed quickly and hurried into the kitchen and took the spatula from his aunt's hands before she could even say anything to him. Petunia immediately wrapped her arms around her son as far as she could.

"How's my Duddikins on his special day?" Petunia kissed him on the cheek, pointedly ignoring the fat boy's look of disgust from the action. Once his mother released him, Dudley quickly turned his attention to the rather large pile of gifts on the table. Scrutinizing them, he addressed Vernon who sat there, a cup of coffee in his hand.

"How many are there?" Dudley demanded of his father.

"Thirty-six," Vernon replied.

"Thirty-six? But last year – last year, I had thirty-seven!" Dudley cried, fake tears welling up in his eyes. Harry rolled his eyes, his long hair shielding his eyes from his family's view. Harry was very aware of the fact that Dudley had stopped crying years ago, but that didn't mean that the fat blond boy didn't know how to throw a tantrum anymore.

"How about this Duddy, today, when we go out, we'll by you two new presents. How does that sound?" Petunia quickly defused the bomb like an expert. Dudley nodded and the tears quickly stopped. Petunia disappeared from the kitchen when the phone rang, but reappeared a few moments later. "Bad news, Mrs. Figg is ill and can't take him today." Harry smiled slightly. As nice as the old woman was, her cats _hated_ him. Harry quickly set the breakfast food on the table and set everything up. Being careful of Dudley's presents, knowing that he would be in a world of pain should he damage anything. "I guess we'll just have to take him with us." Dudley's tears began anew at this statement.

"B-but, he'll ruin everything!" the boy sputtered. Harry was tempted to speak up, to say he'd just stay here or run over to Jon's place, but since either choice involved him enjoying himself, they'd never agree to it.

"We can't just leave him here, he'd blow up the house," Vernon murmured.

"No I wouldn't," Harry replied weakly before returning to his toast and bacon. Dudley crying continued until Petunia offered to buy him all the treats he wanted while they were out.

"No choice then, the boy's coming with us," Petunia announced.

XxXxXxX

Harry grabbed a jacket from his cupboard and brushed his hair from his face. Although his aunt and uncle liked to keep up appearances, they'd long since given up on keeping Harry's hair tame and just let it do as it wished. By now, the back of it just brushed his shoulders, and his bangs were parted in front in such a way that it kept his rather peculiar scar on his forehead out of sight. This scar was just about the only thing Harry really liked about his physical appearance. He was short for a boy his age, too skinny, although there was a healthy amount of muscle on him, not to mention the upper half of his body was riddled with scars. Other than that, it was his lightning bolt shaped scar, and maybe his hair that he really liked.

Harry was pulling his jacket on and reaching for the door handle of the car when Vernon stopped him.

"You listen here boy, and you listen well. If there's any funny business going on today, any at all, you'll be in your cupboard with no meals for a week. Is that understood?" Harry nodded his head. He was given this speech whenever they were forced to take him along for outings, and every time, something always went wrong and he was blamed, even if he was nowhere near the strange happenings. With this warning running through his mind, they set off for the zoo.

XxXxXxX

Dudley's fat face was pressed against the glass, staring at a sleeping python. His father stood by him, looking over a pamphlet.

"Make it move," Dudley ordered. Vernon looked up and knocked on the glass. When the sleeping snake only twitched its tail slightly, Dudley rapped harder on the glass.

"Move!" the python went on sleeping. Dudley sighed and walked away, Vernon trailing his son. Harry went back to studying the large snake. Finally, the snake lifted its head, tongue flicking out. It seemed to look Harry up and down before emitting a low hiss.

_"That isss ssso annoying,"_ Harry blinked. Looking around to see if anyone was nearby, he turned back to the python.

"W-was that you?" he asked quietly. The python nodded. Harry glanced at the sign beside the glass window. "Do you think you'd like to go to Brazil one day?" Harry questioned. The python nodded.

_"Very much ssso,"_ it replied.

"Must be horrible here, having only people who just press their ugly faces against the glass like my cousin."

_"You've no idea,"_ the python told him just as Dudley ran up and elbowed Harry out of the way. Harry rolled and jumped to his feet out of reflex and growled at his cousin. Dudley pressed himself against the glass, and in that moment, the glass disappeared. Dudley flailed his arms to retain his balance, but he pitched forward and fell into the exhibit. The large python took the chance to get out. He paused and looked at Harry. _"Thanksss amigo."_ It said before slithering off, nipping at the heels of the people who couldn't get out of the way fast enough. Harry looked over at Dudley who was just rising to get out but found that his path was impeded by the glass which had reappeared.

Petunia screamed at the sight of her son, while Vernon cast Harry a suspicious look.

XxXxXxX

By the time they'd reached Privet Drive again, Dudley had calmed a bit, but he was still dripping wet. As soon as the front door was closed, Vernon grabbed Harry by the ear and began dragging the boy to his cupboard.

"What happened?" he demanded through clenched teeth. Harry gasped in pain.

"I-I don't know!" Harry cried. Vernon growled and shoved him into the cupboard and locking it shut.

XxXxXxX

Harry had spent the next month and a half in his cupboard. By the time they'd let him out, summer holidays had begun and they were almost through the month of July.

At this time, Harry had just finished setting the table for breakfast and when the click of the mail slot sounded down the hall.

"Go get the mail," Vernon ordered. Harry nodded and moved towards the kitchen door, picking up his two slices of bacon as he went. If he didn't take this precaution, Dudley wouldn't leave any for him. He bent to the pick up the mail, looking through them once he did. He passed over a few bills, a postcard, and a letter. He finished going through the stack before he'd fully realized that the letter was addressed to him. Blinking, he made his way back to the kitchen, staring at the address on the envelope.

Mr. H. J. Potter

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Harry mindlessly handed the rest of the stack to his uncle and made his way towards the hall again to slip inside his cupboard, but Dudley spoke up before he'd taken two steps.

"Dad, Harry's got a letter!" Dudley managed to jump up from his chair and snatched the envelope from his cousin's grip and passed it to his father's hand before Harry had even realized it. When he did, he growled in annoyance.

"Hey! That's mine!" he made a grab for it, but Vernon pulled away.

"Nonsense, who would write to you?" Vernon looked over the envelope, and quickly noticed the wax seal holding the envelope closed. Just above the wax was what appeared to be a school seal featuring a lion, badger, eagle, and a snake. The four animals held aloft a large green H. With shaking hands, Vernon turned it over and saw in green ink, the exact address of where Harry slept. "Dudley, Harry, leave." Vernon ordered tersely.

"But Dad!" Dudley began to protest but Vernon cut him off. Realizing that he wasn't going to get his way this time, Dudley left the kitchen with Harry just behind him. Petunia shut the door behind the boys. Harry paced back and forth for a bit while hearing Petunia and Vernon's hushed voices through the door with ease. Despite this, they spoke carefully; they didn't want the boys to figure out what it was they were talking about. Harry snarled in frustration before making his way to the front door.

The dark haired boy wandered down the street until he came upon an apartment building. Harry entered and jogged up five flights of stairs before he came to the floor he was looking for. Knocking on the third door on the left side of the hall, the door opened to reveal Jon standing at the door, a slice of toast hanging from his mouth.

"Harry? Bit early don't you think?" Jon asked, but stepped aside to let the boy in anyway.

"My relatives are being unreasonable," Harry told him as he kicked off his shoes and sat down on the couch.

"How so?"

"I got a letter in the mail today. I never get mail, and they won't even let me look at it," Harry grumbled. "And there's no way it could be a mistaken address, it even listed my cupboard."

"Cupboard?" Jon looked at him with a questioning look on his face. Harry then realized that he'd never mentioned the fact that he slept in a cupboard. "What do you mean by that Harry?"

"Oh, well, its-its nothing," Harry told him, averting his eyes. Jon approached the boy, and forced Harry to look at him. Harry automatically set his face into a blank stare and Jon sighed.

"I think I've taught you too well Harry, I can't read you anymore," Jon said with a chuckle. "Did you eat breakfast yet?"

"A little bit," Harry replied. As soon as these words left his mouth, Jon lifted the boy up and threw him over his shoulder.

"You're a growing boy Harry, you need to eat more than just 'a little bit'," Jon dumped him on a seat at the kitchen table and served him a large helping of food.

"I don't think I could eat all of this," Harry told him.

"You'd be surprised Harry, now eat," Jon pushed a fork towards the boy and Harry dug into some eggs.

"I didn't know you could cook so well," Harry commented between bites.

"When you live on your own, you pick up a few things," Jon told him while pouring a glass of milk for Harry.

Soon enough, Harry had finished everything on the plate and leaned back in the chair.

"I don't think I can move," Harry said with a heavy sigh.

"You get ten minutes," Jon said.

"Ten minutes for what?"

"To rest before you get to work," Harry groaned.

"No complaining, you're lucky I'm doing this for free, besides, I'm running out of things to teach you," Jon told him. "Though I suppose I can go into other styles that I know." At this, Harry practically leapt from his seat.

"Really? Like what?" Harry stared at his teacher expectantly.

"I know a little Judo that I can teach you, though I was never that good at it to start with. Or maybe Kendo, that's always fun, most people like that one," Jon stated. "So, which will it be? Kendo, or Judo?"

"Let's start with Kendo first," Harry said quickly.

"Great, help me set out the mats and get stretching."

"_Hai, sensei._"

XxXxXxX

That afternoon Harry trudged back to the Dursleys, his hands throbbed, his back hurt, and his arms felt numb. He didn't think landing on his back could hurt to much. As he opened the door, he was greeted by Vernon.

"We need to talk," Vernon declared before leading the boy into the sitting room. Harry took a deep breath, waiting for his uncle to start yelling. "Uh, Harry, I – that is – you aunt and I have decided that you've gotten a bit big for the cupboard already. What I mean is, you can go ahead and move into Dudley's second bedroom upstairs." Harry blinked, not sure he actually believed what he was hearing. Finally, he remembered the reason he'd left the house that morning.

"What about my letter?" Harry demanded.

"It was a mistake, I've gone ahead and burned the letter," Vernon answered him levelly. "So, go ahead and take your things up to your room." Harry nodded and ducked inside the cupboard to get the few possessions he had. Quickly glancing to make sure Vernon wasn't paying attention he slipped the pocket knife Jon had given him into his pocket before moving up the stairs.

Harry dumped his things onto the bed and looked around the room. Nearly the entire room was filled with broken or unwanted toys and gifts Dudley had received over the years. He shook his head at the sight, evidence of just how spoiled his cousin was. Hell, as far most people knew, it looked as if the only boy living in the house was Dudley, so small was Harry's presence.

There was a commotion downstairs and Harry realized that his cousin had been informed about the change in living arrangements. He groaned and flopped over onto his back, realizing the mistake in doing so, he flipped over onto his stomach. Harry had a feeling that it was going to be a very long summer.

XxXxXxX

Harry awoke the next day and hurried downstairs to make breakfast. Harry pulled out several eggs to cook as Vernon sat down with the morning paper and listened to Harry working.

Once everyone sat down to eat, the click of the mail slot caused everyone to stop. There was a moment of tense silence, and then the three males in the house rose and bolted for the door. Harry got their first, and he'd only gotten a glimpse at the address written on the three letters before Vernon ripped them from his grip.

"Those are mine! They've got my room written on it!" Harry leapt up at Vernon to snatch one away. Vernon held the three envelopes high above his head, far out of Harry's reach.

"Go to your room Harry!" Vernon snarled. Harry shoved past the man and stomped all the way up at the stairs. When he got to his room, he made sure the slam the door loudly just because he could.

XxXxXxX

A week later, Vernon had been driven to madness. He ordered everyone to pack up so they could leave. Harry had no intention of doing so. He did pack, but rather then go downstairs he jumped out of his bedroom window, his landing cushioned by the bushes below his window. He dusted himself off and ran to Jon's place before they noticed that he was missing.

Jon was surprised to see Harry standing at his door step, but agreed to let the boy stay.

"Say Harry, tomorrow's your birthday right?" he asked Harry.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I figured since your Uncle's finally jumped off the deep end, we could celebrate your birthday properly," Jon suggested. Harry's face seemed to brighten considerably at this suggestion.

"Okay!" Jon chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm.

"We could even get started today," Jon said, before thinking for a bit. After a while he snapped his fingers and headed over to the shelf of videos he had. "I know, have you ever watched Star Wars Harry?"

"No, never heard of it," was the reply. Jon's movements stilled, and then he turned slowly, shock clearly showing on his face.

"N-never heard of it?" Harry couldn't be sure, but it looked as if Jon's brain was breaking down on him. "B-Blasphemy, anyone who's studied kendo and bushido should – no – must see Star Wars!" He grabbed three videos off the shelf before dropped them on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"Uh, Jon? Is it that big of a deal?" Harry questioned.

"Of course it is! You've gotta be crazy kid to think otherwise," Jon answered as he shoved Harry onto the couch and ran off to the kitchen. "You sit tight kid; I'll have you fixed up in a second."

Harry wondered on what Jon meant by "fixed up".

XxXxXxX

Several hours, four bowls of popcorn, three bottles of soda, and a large amount of candy later, Harry lay on the pull-out bed staring up at the ceiling. 'So that's Star Wars. I must say, it's pretty cool.' He thought as his eyes drifted to the digital clock glowing on the VCR. It was five minutes to midnight, five minutes, and he would be eleven years old. His thoughts drifted to the Dursley's, wondering what it was that they were doing now, and if Uncle Vernon really hoped to escape the people trying so desperately to send a letter to Harry.

Two minutes to midnight. Harry hoped that tomorrow would be just as fun as today had been. He'd tried to get Jon to tell him what the man had planned, but he'd been completely tight-lipped about it.

One minute. He prayed that Uncle Vernon wouldn't punish him too harshly for running off the way he had. Maybe he could convince Jon to let him stay with him for the rest of the summer.

Thirty seconds. He'd run out of things to think about, and he was feeling tired, the sugar rush he'd been riding, finally dying out.

Fifteen seconds. Harry's eyes began to slide closed and he yawned loudly. What was that loud stomping noise in the outside hallway?

Ten seconds. He turned over onto his side, adjusting the pillow beneath his head. The loud stomping was growing ever closer.

Five seconds. His body slowly shut itself down for the rest of the night. He thought it might have been some kind of giant.

Midnight. A blast akin to cannon fire echoed through the small room and made Harry jump so high, he fell out of bed.

"Bloody hell! What was that?" Harry's eyes were drawn to the short hallway that lead to the front door. He could see the wood shaking against its frame. There was another explosion and the door came crashing down. Harry jumped over the back of the couch, looking up to see possibly the largest man in existence step through the threshold of the small flat. Jon's bedroom door opened and the young man came out, eyes searching out Harry in the darkness. The large man came forward and paused to adjust his eyes to the darkness of the room. Jon stood between Harry and the large man, intending to protect the boy. The giant-like man blinked before finally speaking.

"Sorry 'bout that," he turned and put the front door back in place. "I forget me own strength sometimes." He explained. The man turned to see Jon, and Harry hiding, looking at him with wide fearful eyes. "'Arry! I haven't seen you since you was a baby." At this statement, Harry rose and stepped forward cautiously.

"Who are you sir? If you don't leave now, I'll be forced to call the police," Jon stated, somehow keeping a slight tremor from his voice. It seemed the big man finally noticed Jon.

"Sorry, it's jus' I've been told to speak to 'Arry here an' give him 'is letter," the man explained. "The name's Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid tha' is. But you can jus' call me Hagrid." The man, now named Hagrid fished through the many pockets of his large overcoat and produced a relatively rumpled envelope. He held out the letter to Harry who took it slowly. Flipping it over, he was surprised to see Jon's address written on it, but it had his name on it.

Flipping it back over, he tore the seal and produced three thick pieces of paper. Feeling it, he realized that it wasn't the standard notebook or printer paper he was used to. Opening up the first sheet, he began to read aloud for Jon's benefit.

"'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class. Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)," Harry blinked, but kept going. "Dear Mr. Potter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclose a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours sincerely Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress.'" Harry looked up at Hagrid. "Is this some sort of joke the Dursleys thought up as punishment for leaving without telling them?" Harry asked quite seriously.

"No, it's not a joke 'Arry, it's all true," Hagrid told him.

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" Harry asked of him. Hagrid appeared to be thinking, and then, he pulled a pink umbrella from one of his inner pockets. He then pointed it at the pen sitting on the coffee table and with a flash of light it had transformed into a rubber ball and back again.

"Do ya believe me now?" Hagrid questioned. Both Harry and Jon were staring.

"S-so, this is all true? Harry's a wizard?" Jon asked. Hagrid nodded.

"Who are ya anyway?"

"Oh, I'm Jonathan Tanigawa, I'm Harry's martial arts teacher," Jon informed the taller man.

"So yer a Muggle then?"

"Muggle? I've heard that term before," Harry said.

"Ya have? Where?"

"At the hospital, I was there when I was att-attacked by a dog. The doctor that tested me for rabies used that term. I never asked him what it meant," Harry clarified.

"A Muggle is a person who can't use magic. Yer teacher 'ere is a Muggle," Hagrid told him.

"So, my relatives are Muggles too then?"

"Tha's right. Your mum, and yer aunt were sisters, born from Muggle parents, but yer mum was a fine witch, the best in her year at Hogwarts. Hang on a minute, ya mean ta tell me tha' the Dursleys never told ya? Never mentioned that ya were a wizard?" Harry shook his head. Hagrid growled.

"W-were they supposed to?"

"They bloody were. Professor Dumbledore left a letter with ya when we left ya with the Dursleys. Even explained how yer parents died," Hagrid said.

"How they died? They told me they died in a car crash. Was that a lie too?"

"A car crash? A car crash kill Lily and James Potter? Rubbish, all of it!" Hagrid seemed to be righteously angry.

"Then, how did they die? If you don't mind me asking?" Jon asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"I doan know if I shoul' be the one ta tell ya Harry, but I can say that they were murdered. Died protectin' ya," Hagrid said to the boy. Once this was said, he suddenly jumped slightly, and dug into one of his back pockets. "I've got a little summat fer ya 'Arry. Mighta sat on it, but should taste fine just the same." With this, he produced a slightly squashed box and handed it to Harry. Harry opened it up to see a chocolate cake and green icing that spelled out "Harry Birthday Harry" on it.

"Thank you," Harry said softly. He'd never had a birthday cake before. He'd gotten gifts before, but never a cake. Jon claimed that dessert food was beyond his ability to cook, and the Dursleys just didn't care. Hagrid had pulled out more of that strange paper and what looked like a feather, but he was surprised to see that Hagrid was writing with it. "What is that Hagrid?" Harry asked.

"Parchment and a self-inking quill is all. Jus' sendin' a note to the headmaster. Let 'im know ya got yer letter," Hagrid told him. "Tomorrow, we can go get yer supplies, if that's all right." He pulled a ruffled tawny owl from another pocket and tied the piece of parchment to its leg. Opening up the nearest window, it took off, seeming to know where to go.

"Well, Jon and I were going to celebrate my birthday but…" Harry wasn't sure as to what to say.

"It's fine Harry, but can I come too? All this magic stuff sounds like fun. My father used to tell me stories about magic and stuff. I always thought it was real, deep down. Don't know why, but that's how it is."

"You said yer name was Tanigawa right?" Hagrid asked.

"Yeah,"

"There was a famous wizard by that name, might be a relative," Hagrid muttered. "Well, I s'pose ya can go with us. We'd best be up bright and early." Harry was sitting on the bed again, just about ready to fall asleep again. "I can sleep on the floor, doan think that bed can hold me weight." Hagrid removed his jacket and spread it on the floor. Jon seemed to remember his manners and hurried to get Hagrid a proper pillow and blankets.

"Good night Harry, Hagrid," Jon said before disappearing into his room again.

"Night Jon, Hagrid," Harry lay back down ready to fall asleep. 'I hope tomorrow will be tons of fun.' He thought with a smile before falling asleep.

**Thanks to the one person that reviewed at the four that added this story to their alerts. It makes me happy. I know that it seems a bit rushed, but honestly, I don't feel like going on about the three years in between Harry being bitten and finding out he's a wizard. So I settled for a time jump. Please, please, please review!**

**One more thing: I need help deciding which house to put Harry in. As this is an AU fic, Harry's personality isn't quite the same as in canon. I'm not sure which house to put him in because of this.**


	3. 1:1 :: The Fantasy

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 3: The Fantasy

Harry awoke to the sound of a bird tapping its beak against the window. He humped out of bed and let it in. The owl flew over to Hagrid and dropped a rolled up newspaper on the man's face, causing him to wake. Digging through the various pockets of the jacket, Hagrid inserted five small bronze coins into the pouch strapped to the bird's leg. It flew out the open window and away. At the sight of the money, Harry realized something.

"Um, Hagrid?"

"Yeah?"

"How am I to pay for all my school supplies? I haven't any money," Harry asked.

"Did ya think yer parents wouldn't leave ya nothin'? Yer money's held in a vault at Gringotts, the wizard bank. Tha's the only reason yer relatives never got it," Hagrid told him.

"So, I've got money somewhere?" Hagrid nodded at the question. Harry dug through the duffel bag under the bed and pulled out some fresh clothing, having slept in one of Dudley's very large t-shirts. The shirt was long enough that it fell well past his knees, and could have worked as some kind of nightgown. He disappeared into the bathroom and changed.

Jon appeared from his room, fully dressed and knocked on the door, before walking away when Harry answered him.

"Would you like something to eat Hagrid?" Jon asked the large man.

"No, no, I'm fine," Hagrid replied. Jon nodded and set to work making breakfast for himself and Harry.

XxXxXxX

They left the apartment building half an hour later. Hagrid lead them to a bus station, and from the bus station, to the Underground. From there, they got off at a stop near the heart of London, and Hagrid continued to lead the way. As they walked, Jon pulled up beside Harry.

"Harry, I figure, since you've nearly mastered everything I've taught you, maybe you wouldn't mind having a Japanese name?" he suggested. Harry smiled.

"Sure, I don't mind at all," the boy answered. Jon grinned.

"I've been thinking over one that would fit you, bit it isn't easy, there's too much to consider. I spent the past week trying to come up with a good name, and I finally settled on Arashi. What do you think?"

"Arashi," Harry murmured, as if testing the name. Finally, he looked up at Jon. "I like it, what does it mean?"

"Storm. At first I was going to try something to do with your furry little problem, but changed my mind. I'm glad you like it, now I get to call you something during training," Jon reached down to ruffle Harry's hair.

Harry looked up when Hagrid stopped walking.

"Hagrid? Something wrong?" Harry asked.

"No, everything's fine. You ready to see your first glimpse at the wizarding world Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry said. Hagrid turned to pulled him to the front.

"Then, this here is the Leaky Cauldron, famous pub here in London," Hagrid pushed Harry to the door.

"Hagrid? Is it normally possible for Muggles to see it?" Harry asked. He'd noticed that the other pedestrians simply bypassed it like it wasn't there.

"No, not normally. Only if they've actually been inside," Hagrid responded.

"So, that' explains why I can't see anything," Jon murmured. Hagrid placed a hand on Jon's shoulder and pushed him towards the door. Harry opened the door, and held it open for the two. The door closed behind the three males, everyone in the pub paused and looked up at the newcomers, but quickly went back to what it was that they were doing.

"Hello Hagrid, the usual today?" the barkeep asked, already reaching for a clean glass.

"Not right now Tom, just coming by on Hogwarts business," Hagrid replied, clapping a large hand on Harry's shoulder. To Hagrid's slight surprise, Harry didn't nearly fall over like most others did. Tom nearly dropped the rag he held and stared at Harry. He felt the man's eyes boring a whole into his forehead, right where his scar was.

"Bless my soul, its Harry Potter," he exclaimed. All the light chatter in the room ground to a halt, and everyone turned to stare at Harry. Unaccustomed to such behavior, Harry backed up and tried to hide behind Jon. There was a great clatter as everyone leapt from their chairs to greet him. Harry found himself being pulled from the protection that Jon offered and was soon shaking hands with everyone in the room.

Several of the witches and wizards introduced themselves, and one man even came back for a second handshake. Finally, from a dark corner, a man wearing a purple turban stepped forward.

"Oh, Professor Quirrell, hello," Hagrid greeted the young pale man cheerfully.

"H-hello Hagrid," the teacher said before turning his attention to Harry. "H-H-Harry P-Potter, it's a g-g-great p-pleasure to f-finally meet y-you." Harry shook the man's hand.

"This is Professor Quirrell, he'll be one of yer teachers at Hogwarts," Hagrid explained.

"Oh! What kind of magic do you teach Professor?" Harry asked.

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," he muttered, and to Harry, it looked as if he feared even thinking about it. "N-not that you'll b-b-be needing it, eh, P-Potter?" Quirrell gave a nervous laugh. "I s-suppose you'll be p-p-picking up your e-equipment then? I've g-g-got to get a n-new book on v-v-v-vampires, myself." He looked horrified at the thought of it.

It wasn't until several minutes later that Hagrid was finally able to get Harry through the crowd and out to the back of the pub. Harry and Jon looked around in confusion, all that was there was a bunch of trash bins. They gave Hagrid strange looks, but Hagrid continued on with what he was doing, not that they knew what it was that he was doing. He pulled out his pink umbrella and was tapping the bricks on the back wall in succession. Slowly, the bricks moved aside and formed a wide arch. Hagrid turned back to them and smiled.

"Welcome," he began, "to Diagon Alley."

Harry and Jon stood there, slack-jawed and awestruck at everything. A large throng of people moved up and down the alley, entering and leaving various shops. As they stepped into the crowd of people, Harry found himself wishing for four more sets of eyes so that he wouldn't miss anything. Jon kept both hands on Harry's shoulders as they walked along the path that Hagrid created. Jon's eyes were in constant motion trying to process everything. It seemed that several stereotypes about wizards and witches were true; pointed hats, robes, cauldrons, wands, and so on.

There were so many stores, and Harry could actually feel the magic permeating around him. So much collected power in one place, it felt amazing and made his skin tingle pleasantly. He took a deep breath, for once fully using his enhanced sense of smell, taking in the scent of food, animals, and the people around him. He was surprised that it didn't overwhelm him like it did the first few days. They approached a huge snowy white building that looked to be made of pure marble.

"Tha's Gringotts, you'd be mad to try and rob the place," Hagrid told them as they approached the doors. "And those are goblins, no better person to trust yer money with." A pair of goblins opened the doors for them. They came up to a second pair of doors, and a verse was engraved upon it. It read:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure here._

"Like I said earlier, ye'd have to be mad to try and rob the place," Hagrid repeated as they stepped through the doors and found themselves within a large room that could have fit the Dursley home within it, twice.

Hagrid stepped up to a counter that was currently unoccupied and cleared his throat. All the while, Jon and Harry continued to look around. A goblin a few stalls down was looking through a large pile of rubies, while another appeared to be counting money. Harry turned his attention to the station they stood in front of to see Hagrid speaking to another goblin.

"Mr. Harry Potter would like to make a withdrawal," Hagrid stated. The goblin looked over at Harry then back to Hagrid.

"Does Mr. Harry Potter have his key?" Hagrid fished through his pocket until he found what he was looking for and handed the goblin a key.

"Also, I've got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid handed the letter to the goblin. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen.

"Very well then, I will have someone take you down to the vaults. Griphook!" Yet another goblin appeared who lead them through a door where the four piled into a cart and were off.

Harry grinned as the cart whipped around corners and took sharp turns. Looking at the two adults, he noticed that Hagrid was beginning to turn green, and Jon looked a bit unsettled. Harry's grin widened, and he whipped around when he thought he saw a burst of flames somewhere to their right. But they had already turned another corner. Harry lost track of how many turns they'd taken, but he enjoyed the ride nonetheless. His hair whipped back and the cold wind felt wonderful against his bare skin.

It all ended too soon, and they stumbled out of the cart. Griphook inserted Harry's key into a small keyhole and the large door opened slowly. A mass of green smoke billowed out of the vault. Harry and Jon stared in wonder at the sight of so many shiny coins. Never before had Harry seen so much money in his life. Hagrid handed Harry a bag to carry his money in. Harry and Jon began scooping coins into the bag while Hagrid explained what each coin was.

"The gold ones are Galleons; there are seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon, an' twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle. Not too hard ta remember. What ya got there in tha' bag should be enough for a couple of terms," Hagrid said. They were stepping out of the vault when Griphook reentered.

"Mr. Potter, before your parents died, I was given the honor of tracking your family's finances, and everything what you will inherit once you come of age. Your father however, requested that the day you came here to gather your school supplies, I was to give you this," Griphook had grabbed a box off a shelf in the very back of the vault and handed it to Harry.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Open it and see, it is yours, as you are the heir to the Potter family fortune," Griphook told him. Harry opened the box to see a large ring resting on a bed of cotton balls. He picked it up and examined it. The band was made of some sort of alloy, but there was no silver present. Had there been he would have been burned by it the moment he touched it. The jewel in the center was a ruby, and engraved into the center of the jewel was a stylized "P". Other than that, the ring was rather simple in design with a lion running along the length of the band

"Whoa, that's a pretty nice ring. Looks a bit big for you though Harry," Jon commented.

"Yeah, guess I can't actually wear it yet, but it's not made of silver, so it'll agree with me later on," Harry moved to place it back in the box, but stopped when he noticed that there was something else underneath the cotton balls. Picking it out, he noticed that there was a chain inside as well. He looped the ring through it, and put it on as a necklace. Harry waited a few moments, and there was no immediate irritation like he thought there would be. "Chain's not silver, that's good." Harry muttered.

"Why won't silver agree with you Harry?" Hagrid asked. Harry averted his eyes.

"I'm not allowed to say, I might get in trouble," Harry replied.

"Well, okay then," they got back in the cart and made there way farther down into the deeper reaches of the earth. They came to a stop and Griphook hopped out of the cart.

"Stand back," he said as the others got out. He ran a single long finger down the door and it slowly melted. Harry was expecting mountains of gold and jewels, along with other priceless objects. What he didn't expect was a single grubby brown paper package. Hagrid picked it up and shoved into one of his inside pockets.

"Right, let's head back up, and can we go a little slower?" he asked hopefully.

"One speed only," Griphook answered.

XxXxXxX

Hagrid excused himself as he headed back to the Leaky Cauldron for something to calm his stomach.

"You two'll be okay right?" Hagrid asked. The pair nodded. "Ye can start by getting yer uniform first, just over there." Hagrid pointed to a shop not too far away. "I'll come get ya when I'm done."

Jon and Harry made there way to the shop. A sign above it read: Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Jon held the door open for Harry and stepped inside. A squat smiling witch came forward from the back of the room.

"Hogwarts dear?" she asked. Harry opened his mouth to speak. "You're the fourth today already. I've got a young man back here being fitted right now."

She led Harry to the back of the shop, while Jon waved him good luck.

"Now, stand up here dear," Harry complied and glanced over at the other boy. He had blond hair that was slicked back. He didn't look too happy, if the sneer on his face was any indication.

"Hello," the boy greeted. Harry could tell he was trying to be polite. "Hogwarts too?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Hmm, my father's already buying my books, while my mother's looking at wands," he sounded bored. "I don't think it's fair that first years can't have their own brooms. Maybe I can bully father into getting me one, and I'll smuggle it in." The boy reminded Harry of a very thin Dudley. "Have _you_ got your own broom?" He asked. Harry shook his head.

"No," he answered. 'Unless you count the one I use to sweep down the kitchen with.' He thought.

"Do you play Quidditch?"

"No," he replied. 'What the hell is Quidditch?'

"I do – Father says it would be a crime if I wasn't picked to play for my team. Do you know what house you'll be in?"

"Not really," Harry was starting to feel stupid with his ignorance.

"I'll most likely be in Slytherin, my whole family has been," Harry just rolled his eyes, trusting his hair to keep it hidden. He looked up to see Jon watching him carefully. The Japanese man's eyes flitted over the blond and he glared. Harry could tell that Jon didn't like the boy, and frankly, neither did Harry.

"_Yarou,_" Jon mouthed and Harry had to smirk. He agreed fully with Jon's opinion.

"I say, who is that man there?" the boy had clearly noticed Jon.

"That's my marital arts teacher," Harry replied.

"A Muggle?" Harry didn't miss the way the boy said the word. As if it wasn't worthy of the dirt on the soles of his shoes.

"I wouldn't mess with him, he could kill you a hundred different ways with just his hands," Harry said, smiling in satisfaction at the look of fear the boy adopted.

"Why is he with you? Where are your parents?" the blonde asked.

"They're dead."

"Oh, sorry," he didn't sound sorry at all. "But they were our kind right?"

"If you mean a witch and wizard, then yes," Harry repressed the urge to sigh; this boy was testing his patience. Harry had always had a short fuse, but with Jon's helped he'd managed to learn to control it, but this boy was quickly unraveling all that hard work.

"I don't think they should let in the others though, don't you? Most of them don't know our ways, and haven't even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter. What's you're family name anyway?" Harry was caught off guard by the question. But before he could answer, Madam Malkin informed him that the fitting was done, and he was glad to be able to leave. "I'll see you at Hogwarts then." Harry didn't even answer.

"That boy is way too arrogant for his own good. It could get him killed on day," Jon muttered as they stepped outside to wait for Hagrid.

"Yeah, I really wanted to punch him. I couldn't even answer half the questions he was asking," Harry was about to begin a full-blown rant but Jon stopped him.

"It's all right Harry, I'm sure there are tons of other people who don't know what he's talking about either. Hagrid hurried up to them after exiting an ice cream parlor.

"Here ya go, my treat," he handed each of them a cone that they quickly devoured before it melted. Harry rarely ever got ice cream, and to him it tasted delicious.

"Hagrid, what's Quidditch?" Harry asked.

"Quidditch? It's our sport, a wizarding sport. Everyone follows it – sorta like that Muggle football – it's played up in the air on broom sticks. It's bloody fun to watch, but its hard fer me ta explain."

"Okay, what's Slytherin?"

"It's one of the school houses, there's four of 'em. A lotta the witches and wizards tha' were in Slytherin went Dark. Including You-Know-Who."

"Sorry, who?"

"He-He's the wizard tha' killed your parents, even now, ten years later, people are still afraid ta say his name."

"What happened to him?"

"You defeated him Harry, when you was just a babe. Fifteen months old and already beating Dark wizards," Harry looked shocked.

"I beat a full grown wizard? How?" Hagrid shrugged.

"No one knows the real truth of what 'appened tha' night. Just that You-Know-Who came to yer family's home, killed yer mum and dad with the Killin' Curse. Turned 'is wand on you, but the spell didn't work. Backfired. Most think 'e died. Codswallop in my opinion, he's gotta be out there still, bidin' his time," the explanation made Harry a little nervous, but shrugged it off. "Enough of this talk; we've got some shoppin' to do."

They entered the book shop called Flourish and Blotts, where Harry smiled at the thought of so many books. There weren't any at the Dursleys, and he'd read nearly everything at the library.

"So, what books do you need Harry?" Jon asked. Harry pulled out the list of supplies and read it.

"Each student should have a copy of each of the following: _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_ by Miranda Goshawk, _A History of Magic_by Bathilda Bagshot, _Magical Theory_by Adalbert Waffling, _A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration_by Emeric Switch, _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore, _Magical Drafts and Potions_by Arsenius Jigger, _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_by Newt Scamander, and _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_by Quentin Trimble."

"That's a lot," Jon muttered. Luckily the store owners had set out stacks of the text books that Hogwarts students would need. Harry grabbed one of each book before browsing the shelves.

By the time they'd left, their arms were laden with several bags of books, they hurried over to other stores where Harry bought his Potions equipment, and they dumped all of his books inside the cauldron.

"I'm going to run and get you a trunk while you get yer wand, I'll see you in a bit," Hagrid said and left them in front of Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.

Harry pushed the door open and stepped inside with Jon. The moment the door closed, Harry could feel an intense pulse of magic filling the room. Everything was silent and covered in a fine layer of dust. He felt like he'd just walked into the most revered library in existence.

"Good afternoon," both males jumped and turned to see a man with wide pale eyes looking at them both intently.

"H-Hello sir," Harry greeted in return.

"Ah, Mr. Harry Potter, I've been wondering when I'd be seeing you," Mr. Ollivander began browsing the shelves, occasionally pausing in front of a small thin box. "I see you have your mother's eyes, such a charming shade of green they were. It seems just yesterday your mother and father were stepping in here to buy their first wands. Your mother's was ten and quarter inches long, quite swishy and made of willow. Excellent for charms."

Ollivander paused to look directly into Harry's eyes. Out of habit, Harry blanked his thoughts, and Ollivander blinked – for the first time since entering – in surprise.

"Now, now Mr. Potter, I mean you no harm, it makes finding the correct wand easier if I can see your thoughts," he said. Harry nodded and lowered his guard. The man went back to searching through the shelves. "Your father on the other hand, he favored mahogany. Eleven inches, a bit pliable and had a bit more power, it was excellent for transfiguration. Although in the end, it's the wand that chooses the wizard Harry Potter."

Ollivander approached Harry now, jabbing Harry's forehead.

"I'm very sorry to say that I'm the one that sold the wand that did this to you. Thirteen and a half inches, yew. A very powerful wand, and perhaps, in the wrong hands," Ollivander shook his head before noticing Jon. "And you are?"

"Jonathan Tanigawa sir," Jon replied.

"Tanigawa eh? I've heard that name before, can't quite remember though. You're a Muggle?"

"Yes sir, as far as I'm aware, although Hagrid said there might have been a wizard with that name at one point," Jon replied.

"Hagrid is with you? I haven't seen him in a while. Now, back to business I suppose. I expect this is what you've been looking forward to?" Ollivander asked Harry.

"Yes sir, very much so," Harry answered.

"Excellent, now please hold out your wand arm."

"Sir?"

"Your writing hand Harry," Ollivander clarified.

"Oh, okay," Harry held up his right hand. A roll of measuring tape set to work measuring the distance between Harry's shoulder and middle finger.

"Right handed eh?"

"Yeah."

"That would be where the werewolf bit correct?"

"H-How did you know?"

"I looked into your thoughts remember? I caught just a glimpse of it, but I saw that animal lurking within you. Not to worry, I won't tell anyone," Ollivander said as a measuring tape continued to measure Harry. Ollivander now set to work, properly pulling out wands. "Let's see, how about this one." Ollivander handed one to Harry. Harry took it and gave it a quick flick. A vase of slightly wilted plants shattered. Harry blinked. "No, no, not quite."

This went on for several minutes, the stack building up steadily, until finally, in his search, Ollivander nearly disappeared from view. He returned with one, a strange look on his face. Harry took it, and the moment his fingers closed in on it, he felt warmth flooding his veins. He took a deep breath, and with a gentle flick a small whirlwind filled the shop. It centered on Harry, he stood within its eye but a gentle breeze fluttered his loose clothes and hair. Unlike all the other wands, this one caused no damage to anything, though it did lift a great deal of dust from the shelves and floor.

"Wow," Harry whispered.

"Indeed, although it is a bit curious," Ollivander murmured.

"What is sir?"

"It is curious that you are destined to have this wand Mr. Potter, when its brother gave you that scar," Ollivander said. "The phoenix whose feather resides in that wand, gave only one other feather, and that feather was used in the wand held by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I'm certain that we can expect great things from you Mr. Potter, for You-Know-Who did great things, oh yes. Terrible, but great things." Harry stared at him in shock. After a moment, he shook himself out of it, paid for the wand and left.

Hagrid helped Harry get everything inside the compartments of his trunk.

The trunk had three different magical compartments. The first was opened by a simple padlock and Hagrid handed him the key, he put his robes in this one. When the lid was closed, Harry could tap it with his wand and when opened, it revealed the second compartment. The cauldron and his other supplies were placed neatly into it. The third and final compartment was opened by a password of Harry's choosing. All of the books were stowed inside. Once that was done, they headed off to the nearest pet store. They entered and Harry was overwhelmed by all the smells, and all the animals in the store were reacting to Harry's scent.

"This sort of thing never happens," the owner commented when all the animals seemed to be moving away from Harry, trying to get as far away as possible, except for a single cat that was currently circling his ankles. Harry bent and picked it up. He looked the cat over. It was an orange tabby, the coloring reminding him of orange swirl ice cream. The cat licked his nose slightly. Harry smiled.

"How much for her?" Harry asked.

"Her? Well I don't know, she's been here all her life. Tell you what, you can have her for free, the rest of her siblings have already been bought, and she needs a good home," the owner said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, go ahead and take her," Harry nodded, cradling the cat in his arms. "Here's her carrying basket." Harry placed the small cat in the basket before leaving the store. Hagrid sneezed.

"Got yerself a cat?" he asked as he blew his nose on a large spotted handkerchief. Harry nodded.

"I love cats, but this is the first one I've met that liked me," he responded. A soft mew answered from the basket. Jon grinned.

"Yeah, but what about your relatives?" Jon asked him. Harry froze, and for a moment Jon could see pure terror etched on the boy's face. The man's smile faded. "Harry?"

"They hate animals and would kill her if given the chance," Harry murmured as he held up the basket to look at the cat. He brought the basket closer to his body in a protective gesture.

"I'd take her but the landlord would evict me if I tried to," Jon answered. Harry thought for a moment.

"Mrs. Figg can take care of her. I'm sure she won't mind," Harry decided after a moment of thought.

"Right, that means we can head back to London now," Hagrid said. Jon and Harry nodded.

XxXxXxX

They sat waiting at the train station eating hamburgers. Harry had never had something that tasted so good.

"Burgers back home will always be the best," Jon commented. "If you ever go to Japan, never go to a burger joint there, they give you rice rather than fries." He said. "Plus the portion sizes are smaller."

"Well, yer train will be here soon," Hagrid said looking up at the clock on the wall across from them. "I'd best be off then." Hagrid rose but paused. "Before I forget, here's yer train ticket to Hogwarts, remember Harry, don't lose that ticket, it's very important." Hagrid handed Harry the ticket. "Happy Birthday, and don't let the Muggles get ya down, just another month before you won't have to see 'em for a while." Hagrid gave Harry a bone crushing hug. The pair watched Hagrid until he just disappeared.

XxXxXxX

The rest of the summer went by smoothly. Mrs. Figg gladly allowed Harry's new cat – which was now, named Mikan – to stay with her until Harry had to leave. Harry spent a great deal of time at Jon's flat reading his course books as well as the other ones that he'd picked up for background reading.

It was the night of the full moon, and Harry sat with Jennifer, waiting until it was time for her to leave. Harry gave her a perusing look.

"You're a witch," he said. His tone wasn't accusing, but he sounded a little disappointed.

"Yes, I am," Jennifer responded. "Its how I've been providing you with your Wolfsbane potion every month. I brew it in my basement."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was told not to. I was told that you would be informed of your status as a wizard. I'm sorry for lying to you Harry," Jennifer said quietly. Harry could see that she was being sincere.

"Who told you not to say anything?" Harry asked.

"Albus Dumbledore, he's the Headmaster at Hogwarts. He was the one who left you here with the Dursleys."

"I see. I expect I'll be seeing him soon then," Harry said as he picked up the glass of Wolfsbane. "You called this Wolfsbane; I'm to assume that Muggles don't realize that werewolves really exist."

"Correct, all werewolves, with the exception of you are registered with the Ministry of Magic and magically tagged. You're the only one that will not have any restrictions placed on you by the Ministry, or others.

"I've made arrangements with the Potions Master at Hogwarts to brew the Wolfsbane for you every month. Good luck there Harry, and remember, there will be people there that will try to be your friend for the sake of hoping to get favors from you. I know that there's bound to be someone there who will truly want to be your friend. There also be those who will seek to hurt you, just remember that you don't need to sink to their level."

"I understand, I'll see you next summer Dr. Thomas," Harry said before downing the potion and retreating up to his room.

XxXxXxX

The day of September first dawned bright and sunny. Harry packed up one of Dudley's old backpacks with clothing, a few new notebooks and four new pens that Jennifer had given him for his birthday, "it's easier to take notes with these," she'd said. Once he was done, Harry gave his room a look over before shutting the door.

Harry stopped at Mrs. Figg's and picked up Mikan. The orange striped cat licked his cheek, happy to see him again, and Harry bid the elderly woman good-bye.

By the time Harry got to Jon's flat, the man was in the process of loading everything into the trunk properly. Together, the pair managed to load it into the boot of the car.

"You ready to go Harry?" Jon asked. Harry nodded, placing Mikan, secure in her basket in the back seat before jumping into the front seat next to Jon. "So, which station are we going to now?"

"King's Cross, platform nine and three quarters," Harry responded, reading off of the ticket in his hand. Jon nodded, not realizing what Harry had just said. After a moment, Jon turned to Harry sharply.

"Wait, what platform?"

"Nine and three quarters, it says so right here," Harry answered, showing it to Jon. The older man sighed and shook his head.

"These wizards sure are strange," he muttered.

XxXxXxX

Jon helped Harry get his trunk onto a trolley and they pushed it through the station. No one really gave them any strange looks; Harry had most of his supplies stowed away into the compartments of his trunk. They came to platform nine and halted.

"Now what?" Jon asked looking around.

"Maybe it's hidden, like Diagon Alley is," said Harry.

"So you're just gonna whip your wand out and start tapping the ticket inspector's stands?" Jon asked. Harry rolled his eyes. Just as Harry was about to respond, a female voice caught his attention.

"It's like this every year, packed with Muggles," the voice said. Harry spun to see a plump redheaded woman. She was leading five similarly redheaded children. Four boys and a girl. The four boys were all pushing trolleys as well. Harry and Jon quickly made their way towards the family.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" Harry called just as one boy – the oldest one – ran at the barrier that separated platforms nine and ten and disappeared. Harry blinked as he reached the family.

"Oh hello dear," the woman greeted him kindly.

"Um, I was wondering, how do I get onto the platform?" Harry asked. The woman just smiled.

"First year at Hogwarts?" Harry nodded. "Well then, you just walk straight at the wall. Don't stop, and don't worry about crashing into it. It's best to do it at a run if you're nervous. Fred, why don't you go ahead and show him how it's done." She motioned to one of the three remaining boys, one half in a set of twins.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly woman and you call yourself out mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Oh, I'm sorry George," the woman said. The boy – George – stepped forward before pausing.

"I'm only joking. I am Fred," he grinned before running at the barrier and disappearing, his twin right behind him.

"Now go ahead dear, don't be afraid," the mother smiled encouragingly. Harry nodded before running back to Jon.

"Well, looks like I can't go see you off on the platform," Jon said with a small smile. "You be careful Harry, don't want anymore Dark wizards trying to whack you." Harry rose on eyebrow. "It's an American expression. Good luck." Jon gave Harry an affection pat on the head and ruffled his hair. "_Ja, mata tsugi no natsuyasumi. Kaku wo wasurenai._"

"_Hai, hai. Wakatta,_" Harry responded.

"_Saa, iku Arashi,_" Jon gave the boy a nudge.

"_Hai! Sayonara sensei!_" Harry called as he ran at the barrier. He approached it quickly and then he felt as if he'd passed through a sprinkler but hadn't gotten wet. Screeching to a halt, he realized that he'd done it. He stood on platform nine and three quarters.

A scarlet steam engine sat next to the platform. People milled about everywhere. Smoke billowed from the engine, the sound of children bidding their parents good-bye, and calls of cats, owls, and the occasional toad resounded over the platform. Mikan mewed to a nearby cat that had escaped its owner.

Harry continued on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment at the back of the train. Harry placed Mikan's basket on a seat before lifting up one end of his trunk. Although he was capable of lifting and carrying an average sized man on his back thanks to his training with Jon, and his werewolf blood, the trunk was still difficult to move. He managed to drag it into the compartment, but he couldn't lift it to stow it away.

"Need help?" two voices asked in unison. Harry nearly dropped the trunk on his toe in surprise.

"Yeah, sure," Harry gasped. The twins quickly helped Harry stow the trunk into the space above the seats. Harry flopped down onto the seat and brushed his bangs from his eyes. He noticed the twins were staring at him. "What?"

"You're Harry Potter," they said. Harry blinked. How did they do that? Did they have some kind of telepathic link or something?

"Er, yeah, I am," he replied.

"Wicked," the twins were grinning at him in a way that made him feel a bit nervous.

"Fred? George? Where'd you two go off to?"

"Coming Mum," they responded before leaving the compartment. He watched the family, feeling just a little envious. He shifted so that he couldn't be seen so easily when he realized that the twins were talking about him. The girl was jumping up and down excitedly.

Soon the whistle blew and the last of the students jumped on the train. Shortly after they were off and the redheaded mother and the little sister were out of sight. He leaned back and sighed.

The past month had felt like a dream, but now he knew that it wasn't. He really was a wizard, and he was going to a school that'd teach him magic. It was exciting.

**I'm still looking for suggestions for which House to put Harry in. So far, two people have suggested Ravenclaw, and a possible Hufflepuff. Remember, I'd like a few points to back up the suggestion for me to think on when I make a final decision. This chapter brings out a little more of Harry's personality, so those of you who have already left a suggestion, perhaps you might have something else to say now.**

**To anonymous reviewer lalalalala: If I'm going to put Harry in Slytherin, I'm not going to do it to make him Malfoy's bitch. In case you didn't notice, this is a non-slash fic creature fic (one of the few out there). If you actually want Harry in Slytherin, come up with a better reason please.**

**Translations:**

**yarou: literally means bastard (you can go look it up in a Japanese-English dictionary and that is the definition given).**

**mikan: orange (the fruit) or tangerine**

**Ja, mata tsugi no natsuyasumi. Kaku wo wasurenai.: Well, until next summer vacation. Don't forget to write. (I'm too sure if the second sentence is grammatically correct.)**

**Hai, hai, wakatta.: Yeah, yeah, I understand.**

**Saa, iku Arashi: Then go Arashi**

**Hai, sayonara sensei.: Okay, good-bye teacher. (Most people understand sayonara to be a parting to be used when one isn't going to see someone ever again. It can be used that way, but it can also be used as a parting when one isn't going to see someone for a great deal of time. 9 months counts as a long time.)**


	4. 1:2 :: Somewhere I Belong

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 4: Somewhere I Belong

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to James D. Fawkes, who basically helped me "see the light" and hopefully save this story from inevitable DOOM. I'll have my work cut out for me, but I'm willing to give it a try. This chapter was rewritten in hopes of improving the direction the story can go in. Wish me luck!**

Harry watched the scenery change outside the window. The door to the compartment opened and the youngest redheaded boy from before entered.

"Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full," he looked a little nervous. Like the twins he had red hair and a dusting of freckles across the bridge of his nose and on his cheeks. But unlike his brothers, he was tall for an eleven year old boy, all arms and legs. He also had a dark smudge on the side of his nose that looked as if it had been thoroughly scrubbed at by his mother.

"Go ahead," Harry responded before going back to staring out the window. The redheaded boy sneaked a glance at him before looking away. After a while, the twins reappeared.

"Hey Ron, we're going to look at Lee's tarantula," one of them said. Both were grinning in a way that they knew that Ron didn't particularly care for this information.

"Sure," Ron's pale face looked even paler now. The twins noticed who Ron was sitting with and grinned.

"I believe we never properly introduced ourselves," one of the twins said. "I'm Fred Weasley and this is…"

"George Weasley," said the other. Harry made sure to memorize their scents for later reference. They were identical in almost every way, but Fred had a slightly deeper voice and a few more freckles than George.

"And this is our baby brother Ron," they both said in unison. "See you later." With that, the compartment door slid closed.

"So, you're really Harry Potter then?" Ron asked.

"Last time I checked I was," Harry replied.

"It's just; I thought it might have been one of Fred and George's tricks. They like to prank people all the time."

"That's okay, frankly, the attention bugs me. I spent my whole life being nothing but the kid who sat at the back of the class and was forced to shut up to make his cousin look smart."

"Oh, that must have been tough," Ron murmured.

"It got better when I was eight. I had to have doctor check ups every month so I couldn't be physically punished for anything I did wrong. I was just given more chores to do."

"S-so, have you got – you know…the scar?" the redhead asked hesitantly. Harry pushed back his bangs to show Ron. The other boy stared for a moment.

"Don't ask if I remember anything, I don't. Just a lot of green light," Harry told him. They lapsed into silence again for a while until Harry decided to speak again.

"Is everyone in your family a wizard?"

"Yeah, I think so," he began, "I'm pretty sure Mum's got a distant cousin that's an accountant, but we don't really talk about it." There was silence for a while before Ron spoke again.

"You know, no one knew what happened to you after You-Know-Who died. I mean, you sort of just disappeared."

"I was sent to live with my mum's sister. She's a Muggle."

"That must have been horrible," Ron said. Harry shrugged.

"It was horrible only because I wasn't normal. Not to them. My aunt and uncle knew I was a wizard, they never told me, even tried to keep me from getting my Hogwarts letter. But I still got it. Makes me wish I had a few older brothers. Are those three your only brothers?"

"No, there are two older," Ron looked a little glum. "Bill and Charlie already graduated. I'm the sixth boy in the family; I guess I've got the most to live up to. They've all accomplished so much. Even Fred and George, everyone likes them, and they get pretty good marks even though they mess around so much. Mum and Dad expect me to do just as well though. Not that it matters, everything has already been done. Plus I never get anything new. My robes are Bill's old ones; I've got Charlie's old wand, and Percy's rat."

Ron reached his hand into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat. It was sleeping.

"His name's Scabbers, but he's pretty useless. He's always asleep too. Percy got an owl for being a prefect and I got Scabbers."

"What about your sister?"

"Ginny? She gets new robes since the girl's robes are made different. But she'll probably get everything else used."

"So, do you have any idea of what Hogwarts is like from your siblings?"

"Percy says that there isn't time to do anything but do homework, but Percy never does anything fun anyway. I'm sure I believe anything the twins say, but Bill and Charlie says it's pretty fun the first four years, but after that there's no such thing as fun. Only if you're on a Quidditch team anyway."

During their conversation, the scenery changed from that of London to fields of grazing cows and sheep. Some time past noon an elderly lady pushing a cart opened the compartment door.

"Anything off the cart?" she asked kindly. Harry jumped up. He quickly looked over everything, realizing that these were wizard candies. He bought a little of everything just to see what it tasted like.

"Hungry?"

"Starving! Jon would have killed me if I mentioned that I didn't eat," Harry replied putting everything down on the seat next to him.

"Jon?"

"My martial arts teacher, he's always going on about eating properly," Harry told him. He picked up a pumpkin pasty and bit into it.

Ron had pulled a package of sandwiches from his pocket. He began unwrapping it to pull apart one of the sandwiches and sighed.

"Swap you one for something," Harry said.

"You sure?" Harry nodded. Ron handed him a sandwich and he picked up a pasty. Harry was smiling happily, he'd never had anything to share with someone before and it made him happy. Soon, the sandwiches lay forgotten.

Harry picked up a box labeled as Chocolate frogs, "these aren't real frogs are they?"

"No, it's just the way they're shaped. Like those Muggle chocolate rabbits," Ron told him. "Each Chocolate Frog comes with a card to collect – all of them are famous witches and wizards." Harry unwrapped it and looked at the card. It bore a picture of an old man with half-moon shaped glasses, a long crooked nose – Harry could tell he'd broken it at least once – and a long silver beard. The name Albus Dumbledore was printed underneath the picture.

"So this is Dumbledore?" said Harry.

"Yeah, he's pretty famous," Ron said. "Can I have a frog?" Harry handed one over as he flipped the card over. "Thanks."

On the back of the card was a short description of Dumbledore. Once he was done reading he turned the card back over and blinked when he saw that Dumbledore was gone.

"Hey, he's gone!"

"Well of course he isn't going to hand around all day," Ron said. "He'll be back."

XxXxXxX

The compartment door slid open for the second time that day to reveal a chubby boy looking as if he was about to cry.

"Have you seen a toad at all today?" he asked.

"No, sorry, but we'll let you know if we do," Harry replied. He grabbed Mikan who was stalking Scabbers. "Stay put Mikan, you can't eat Scabbers, and you'd probably choke on him." He said, pulling the kitten onto his lap. Mikan hissed before curling up and falling asleep herself from Harry petting her fur. The boy thanked them before leaving.

"Honestly, if Scabbers died you couldn't be able to tell the difference. I tried to make him yellow to make him look more interesting but it didn't work too well. Want to see?" Harry nodded eagerly. Ron shifted through the things in his trunk and pulled out a rather battered wand. Harry guessed that it was a unicorn hair that was beginning to stick out of the tip.

Ron had just raised his wand to begin the spell when the door opened once again. The boy with the missing toad was back, but this time there was a girl with him.

"Have either of you seen a toad? Neville's looking for one," she said. She had bossy tone to her voice along with thick frizzy brown hair and two front teeth that were a bit large.

"We've already told him we haven't seen one," Ron said. However, the girl's attention had been caught by Ron's wand.

"Are you doing magic? Let's see then," she sat down to watch. Ron was a bit surprised by the sudden change but nodded anyway. Ron cleared his throat.

"Sunshine daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow," he waved his wand but nothing happened. Scabbers hadn't even woken up.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" asked the girl. "It's not a very good one if it was then. I've tried out a few simple spells just for a little practice and they've all worked for me. No one in family's got magic at all, and I was so surprised when I got my letter, but I was ever so happy, I mean Hogwarts is the best school there is, so I've heard – and I've already learned all the course books by heart, I just hope it'll be enough – I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

Harry was impressed; she'd said it all in one breath and didn't even look winded. He was also impressed that she'd memorized all of the books already. He'd only read through them about halfway, just to get an idea of what he would be learning. A quick glance at Ron told him that the boy hadn't memorized anything either.

"I'm Ron Weasley," murmured Ron.

"Harry Potter."

"Really?" Hermione asked excitedly. "I've read all about you –,"

"So have I," Harry interrupted her. "I don't believe half of what's in those books though." Everyone looked a bit surprised by this.

"Why not?" Ron asked.

"Well, it's not like they were there were they? How would they know what happened? I expect that I'm the only person that would, not that I could remember anything at the time anyway."

"I suppose that makes sense then. Do either of you know what house you're going to be in? I've been asking others, and I hope I get to be in Gryffindor, I hear Dumbledore was in that house. Although Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad," she said. "Well, we'd best get back to looking for Neville's toad.

"I hope I'm not in the same house as her," Ron said. He tossed his wand back into his trunk. "I bet George knew it was dud."

"What house are your brothers in?" Harry asked.

"They're all in Gryffindor, even Mum and Dad were in it. I'm afraid to find out what would happen if I wasn't."

"I bet everyone expects me to be in the same house my parents were in," Harry said. They carried on talking for a while before the compartment door was opened yet again. This time however, it was three boys that looked inside. Harry recognized the smaller one to be the blonde boy from Madam Malkin's.

"So it's true then," he said. "They're saying that Harry Potter's in this compartment. It's you then is it?"

"Yeah, what's it to you?" asked Harry. He gave the three a look over, analyzing the way things were looking. The two other boys were broad and easily twice Harry's size, about as big as Dudley, with probably a little more muscle than fat. They looked like a pair of short bouncers at a night club.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle," he said in a voice that suggested that he really didn't care. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Ron coughed to hide a snicker. Harry continued to analyze. "Although, you really don't look like much."

"Neither do you Yarou," Harry said. Even though Malfoy didn't actually know what the word meant, he could hear the insult underlying it. "You're just the bully that has a little brain matter in his head. Those two do all the work for your lazy arse, after all, you're too good to get your hands dirty."

"Say that again," Malfoy threatened.

"Oh, did I hit a nerve? Forgive me, someone as lowly as me should know better," Harry mocked. Malfoy sneered and cocked his arm back to punch Harry. Harry batted away his fist as if it were just an annoyance. "You don't mess with me Malfoy, or my friends for that matter. You remember those one hundred different ways my sensei can kill you with his bare hands? I've already learned seventy of them. Now get lost Yarou." Harry snarled, baring longer than normal canines and the three quickly left. Harry sat back down and sighed.

"That was bloody brilliant Harry," Ron exclaimed.

"Thanks. Now I really don't like him," Harry stated. "I met him at Madam Malkin's a month ago. Pissed me off, kept going on about how he thought that Muggle-borns weren't worthy of attending Hogwarts."

"The Malfoys are all rotten, that's what Dad says anyway," Ron declared. "But can you really kill Malfoy seventy different ways with your bare hands?"

"No, only fifty-seven ways," Harry replied. Ron looked nervous. Harry grinned. "I'm just kidding, I probably could kill him, but I wouldn't waste my time or skill on him." Ron look relieved. There was complete silence until the sun set and the lights in the compartment flickered on.

XxXxXxX

Harry and Ron stumbled out of the train and looked around them, taking in their surroundings.

"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" a familiar voice caught Harry's attention. Following Hagrid's voice, the first years were pulled away from the crowd of students. Despite his excitement, Harry could feel fear bubbling in his stomach. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly like Jon had taught him. "Follow me firs' years! Come on!" Hagrid turned away from the platform and led them away.

They followed the large man down a path and they soon got a glimpse of the castle. Harry's eyes widened. It was beautiful, despite the darkness and only the lighting in the windows could be properly seen, but it was enchanting to look at.

They were halted at the shores of a black lake that was lined with many small boats.

"Four to a boat only!" Hagrid called as everyone moved to the boats. Harry clamored aboard, followed by Ron, Hermione, and Neville. Once everyone was aboard a boat, Hagrid called the small fleet forward. They glided along the surface of the water, and Harry chanced a glimpse into the water, but saw nothing but deep blackness.

All too soon, they were being led up to steps to the front entrance of the castle. Neville finally found his toad and held onto it tightly. Hagrid raised a great fist and knocked on the door three times.

The door swung open and light flooded the steps causing Harry to blink several times to wait for his eyes to properly adjust. Standing before them was a tall dark-haired witch dressed in emerald-green robes. The first thing Harry thought of upon seeing her face was that she was not a woman to ever be crossed.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said, stepping to the side.

"Thank you Hagrid, I will take them from here," she said. The professor motioned for the students to follow. Harry drank in his surroundings. He couldn't see the ceiling, even with enhanced sight, and the walls were lit by torches. He could hear the chattering of voices off to his right, but Professor McGonagall led them to a small chamber.

Once everyone was inside, Professor McGonagall spoke, "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "The start of term feast will begin shortly, but before you may take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is important because, while you are here, your house will be like your family. You will attend classes with the rest of you house, sleep in you house dormitory, and spend your free time in you common room.

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule breaking and you will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few more minutes in front of the rest of the school. You'd best smarten yourself up while you wait." With this, she walked away. Swallowing a quickly forming lump in his throat, Harry turned to Ron.

"How does this sorting work exactly?" he asked.

"I dunno some kind of test I think. Fred says it'll hurt a lot, but I'm pretty sure he was joking," Ron replied. Harry gnawed on his lower lip in nervousness.

Sooner then he would have liked, Professor McGonagall returned, "form a line and follow me," was all she said.

They entered the Great Hall and Harry was stunned by it. There were thousands of candles floating freely throughout the room, providing all of the light, and looking up he saw that the ceiling showed the night sky outside. They were led to the front of the Hall, facing the rest of the students, all sitting at four different tables, with the staff behind them. There were so many faces, and it made Harry even more nervous now.

He watched as Professor McGonagall returned with a four-legged stool and a ratty looking hat. She placed the hat on the stool, and stepped out of the way. Everyone was watching it expectantly. The hat twitched, and a wide rip on the seam of the brim opened up and began to sing:

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in you head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor;_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a thinking cap!"_

The hall burst into loud applause at the end of the song. Harry let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. That was it, just put the hat on, that's all, no magic, nothing painful. Easy. Simple. He could do it. 'I can't do this.' He thought.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward, unrolling a long sheet of parchment as she went.

"When I call your name, place the hat on your head and sit on the stool," she instructed. "Abbott, Hannah!" A girl with pigtails came forward and put the hat on. There was a moment of silence before the hat opened its brim once more.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" it cried. Applause came from the table at the far right. She removed the hat and hurried to the table.

This went on for a little while, "Granger, Hermione," Hermione practically ran to the stool. She jammed the hat on her head.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted. Ron breathed a sigh of relief next to Harry. This continued on, for a little while longer and when Neville's name was called he looked ready to faint from nervousness. After a moment of deliberation, the hat hade its decision. "GRYFFINDOR!" Neville was so happy he forgot to remove the hat and had to run back to give it to the next in line.

The amount of first years was dwindling and Harry was increasingly nervous.

"Potter, Harry," Professor McGonagall said. Harry came forward and a large amount of whispering erupted in the hall. He sat upon the stool and the hat was placed upon his head. The last thing he saw before the hat slipped over his eyes were the faces of many craning their necks to get a good look at him.

"Well hello there Mr. Potter," a small voice inside his head said. Harry nearly jumped at the sound but did his best to remain calm. "Oh my, you are most difficult. Very difficult indeed. A great deal courage, but most certainly not a fool's courage. An excellent mind, knowledgeable beyond your years. Very loyal to those you've come to trust fully, that's a strong pack mentality. Oh don't be surprised Mr. Potter. A natural cunning and instinct for survival and safety. Underneath it all is humility, discipline, and respect for your betters. Oh my, it seems that apple has fallen much farther from the tree than anticipated.

"So Mr. Potter, where will it be?" the hat asked him.

'It really doesn't matter to me really. I'm pretty sure that most people want me to be in Gryffindor, but I've never been one to follow the norm. Wherever you think it's best for me to go.' Harry answered.

"Really? What would you think about going into Slytherin?"

'You'd be putting the safety of on Draco Malfoy at risk. He's the first person to get under my skin, and that is not a good thing.'

"Very well then, for the Malfoy boy's sake and yours – it'd best be RAVENCLAW!"

Harry opened his eyes and was greeted by a silent hall. 'Oh yeah, I'm supposed to be in Gryffindor, like a good little boy, I forgot.' He thought as he handed the hat back to Professor McGonagall – who looked like she was rather disappointed – and headed for the Ravenclaw table. He sat down as far away from everyone else as possible, ignoring the looks everyone was giving him. Looking up at the head table, he spotted Dumbledore giving him a strange look. The silence continued until Dumbledore began to applaude slowly, and eventually most everyone joined in and a few older Ravenclaw students cheered and whistled at the luck of having _the_ Harry Potter in their house.

XxXxXxX

Harry couldn't remember eating food so delicious. He'd had his fill of the food he had never tried and fell in love with it. His plate consisted of various kinds of meats – he was supposed to get as much protein as possible – and other things. He listened quietly to the talk from the Ravenclaws nearest him but did not say a thing through the entire dinner. He was far too focused on the food in front of him.

Harry paused in his eating to look at the head table. He recognized Professor Quirrell, who appeared to be having a one-sided conversation with a man dressed in black robes, greasy looking shoulder length black hair, and a hooked nose. The unknown teacher's eyes flicked away from Quirrell and looked right into Harry's. Harry narrowed his eyes in a silent challenge, but the teacher had already looked away. Harry carried on with his meal.

XxXxXxX

The students were lead to the Ravenclaw tower by the prefects, and once inside the location of the dormitories was explained to them. Harry couldn't wait to go to bed, but then one of the professors entered. He was a very small man, only standing up to Harry's waist, but he didn't seem to be one of those evil spiteful teachers.

"Hello, to the new first years, welcome to Ravenclaw. I am Professor Flitwick and I am your Head of House. I hope you all make a great contribution to your house and school. Now I'm sure you're all quite tired, so off to bed with all of you," Professor Flitwick made a shooing motion with his hands and the students staggered off. "Ah, Mr. Potter, may I speak with you please?" He requested. Harry separated from the rest of the students and approached the diminutive man.

"Yes Professor?"

"I have been informed by the Headmaster of your, ah, condition. I have been asked to ensure you've a proper cover story for your monthly disappearances."

"Yes sir, I didn't want to say that I am ill every month, so I'll be changing between that and a few other things I can make up off the top of my head," Harry said.

"Well, as long as you stick to it, you should be fine. Now get some sleep Mr. Potter, I shall see you in the morning," Harry nodded to the professor before climbing the stairs up to the first year boy's dormitory.

XxXxXxX

Harry had never slept in a bed as comfortable as this. But despite this, he couldn't sleep; perhaps the bed was too comfortable. Mikan lay curled up next to him, he absently scratched the kitten behind the ears and listened to her purr in her sleep. Finally, after trying to clear his mind in a hasty attempt at meditating, Harry fell asleep.

**Well, here's the rewrite, I really hope I did better with this than the previous version. Please tell me what you think of it.**


	5. 1:3 :: Hell's Bells

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 5: Hell's Bells

**A/N: For those of you who read chapter four anytime between the 29th and yesterday afternoon, you need to go back and reread chapter 4. i rewrote the chapter, so to read this one would be confusing.**

The moment Harry stepped out of the dormitory, excited whispers followed him everywhere. It was annoying since he was trying to figure out where his classes were. Considering the one hundred and forty-two staircases, a map of the school would have at least been provided for the first years.

"Hey, look, did you see him?" an excited Hufflepuff student whispered to a friend as Harry walked by. Honestly, did these people have no respect for privacy? Then he remembered how celebrities in the Muggle world were watched so carefully they couldn't even set their alarm clock without the world knowing about it. Harry groaned quietly, he really hoped that wouldn't be the case with him.

At breakfast, after following a pair of Slytherins to the Great Hall, Professor Flitwick handed Harry his schedule. Harry glanced at it and learned that his first class of the week was Herbology, with the Hufflepuffs. He wondered just how large the classrooms were to fit in the students from both houses. After eating his fill, Harry rose from his seat to go find greenhouse number four. As he was leaving, he spotted Ron, and chased after the ginger haired boy.

"Ron! Hey Ron, wait up!" Harry called to him. When he caught up, Ron didn't look very happy. "Hey, why are you trying to avoid me?"

"You know why?"

"Actually I don't, so would you mind explaining it to me?"

"I thought you'd be in Gryffindor with me," Ron said.

"Yeah, so did the rest of the school, is it that big of a deal?"

"Yeah, we were supposed to be best mates."

"Why can't we? It's not like I'm a Slytherin," said Harry. "Two people from different houses can be friends can't they? It's not against the rules."

"It's not but it's not encouraged."

"You're just pissed that I'm not in Gryffindor, a house I could have been in -," Harry began before Ron interrupted.

"Then why aren't you?"

"The hat had to choose between all four houses. It went with the one where'd I'd be able to fit in the most. Putting me in Ravenclaw was a good move. I can actually be as smart as I am. I hate it when people expect things of me. You expected me to be in Gryffindor, but I didn't end up there. You can't judge a person by who their parents were, or something they did and can't remember it. All that matters is who they are as an individual. I refuse to conform to the wishes of those who expect me to. This is my chance to be me. Not the person everyone wants to see. I thought you'd be able to understand that Ron, but I guess not."

With this said, Harry walked away.

XxXxXxX

Herbology was much more stimulating that weeding the Dursleys' garden, simply because a good portion of the plants could take off an entire limb if given the chance. Professor Sprout, who looked like she only ever left the greenhouses to eat, treated all of her students equally, giving everyone a chance to answer a question, or ask one. This was something Harry was glad for; he didn't particularly like biased teachers. Many of the ones from primary school had been that way.

After trudging through school in search of the History of Magic class, he gave up until he spotted the Grey Lady – Ravenclaw's resident ghost – and asked her for directions. The aristocratic woman kindly pointed him in the right direction, and he arrived in time for roll call. Professor Binns was the only ghost that taught, but he spoke in a low monotone voice that even put Harry to sleep.

On Tuesday nights, the Ravenclaws dragged themselves up to the highest Astronomy tower and stared at the sky for an hour. Harry didn't find the subject to be very interesting, but he realized that he'd need to find a way to get out of class on nights it fell on the full moon.

The next morning Harry had to drag himself out of bed to get to Charms on time. He was looking forward to seeing Professor Flitwick teach. Like Binns, he started class by taking attendance. Upon reaching Harry's name, he gave a quiet squeak before falling off the stack of books he stood upon. Harry had to admit, Charms was pretty fun, especially since Flitwick put real effort into making sure they could perform the spells correctly.

Transfiguration had him on the edge of his seat when McGonagall turned her desk into a pig, but managed to hide his disappointment when informed that such large transfigurations wouldn't even be considered for another few years. Instead, they started with matchsticks to needles. Hermione was the first to show any progress. The matchstick was now silver and pointy on both ends. McGonagall awarded her five points for it. As she passed Harry's desk, she paused in surprise.

"May I see your matchstick Mr. Potter?" she asked. Harry carefully picked it up and placed it in her hand. McGonagall perused it before nodding. She then got the class's attention. "Mr. Potter's matchstick has made it halfway between stick and needle. Not only is it completely silver and both ends pointed, but half of it is already metallic rather than wooden," Harry flushed slightly in embarrassment as McGonagall placed it back on his desk. "Ten points for Ravenclaw, Mr. Potter, your father would be pleased." The stern woman said as she walked away.

The class Harry was most interested about was Defense Against the Dark Arts, except that Quirrell was an absolute joke. The room smelled strongly of garlic, something that made Harry's eyes water, and when asked a question Quirrell turned into a stuttering mess and talked about the weather. Plus there was something about Quirrell that put him on edge. It might have had something to do with the fact that Quirrell was just _too_ much of a wimp for it to be possible.

Thursday afternoon found Harry sitting in the dungeon classroom with is Housemates and the Hufflepuffs. This was the class he'd been truly looking forward to. After learning that the Wolfsbane was an incredibly tricky potion that only the best could ever hope to get right, he'd wanted to get started with it as quickly as possible.

The door slammed open and all chatter in the room ceased. A tall man with greasy black hair that fell to his shoulders entered the room, robes billowing behind him. The door bounced off the wall and closed. Professor Snape turned to face his students, eyes scanning over them critically. Picking up the roll sheet, he quickly ran through the names, pausing at Harry's before moving on.

"You are all here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he said. Although his voice was barely above a whisper, no one had trouble hearing him. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe that this is magic. I don't expect you to really understand that beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes; the delicate power of liquids that creep through the human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses." Here he paused, but continued on. "I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew gory, and even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads that I usually have to teach."

The last line ruined the whole build up of the speech, but Harry didn't care, he just wanted to get started. Snape's eyes were sweeping over the students before landing on Harry.

"Potter!" Snape snapped. Everyone but Harry jumped. "What do I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Hermione's hand shot into the air. Harry thought for a moment. Even though he hadn't memorized everything in the book, he could remember things pretty well without much effort. Snape paid Hermione no mind.

"It makes a sleeping potion – the Draught of Living Death," Harry replied.  
"Well, well, even the famous Harry Potter can read. Try this one then, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Snape asked. Hermione was practically dislocating her arm in an attempt at raising it higher.

"The stomach of a goat."

"An incomplete answer, continue," Snape ordered.

"It is a stone found in the stomach of a goat," Harry finished.

"Then perhaps, this would be too easy for you, tell me Potter, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Harry tried not to smirk or laugh.

"Monkshood and wolfsbane is the same plant, also known as aconite," he answered. Snape nodded.

"Sit down Granger," he snapped. Hermione sank into her seat dejectedly. "Why aren't you writing any of this down?" The rustle of parchment and scratching of quills filled the room. "One point to Ravenclaw Potter, for being prepared."

They moved on to mixing up a simple potion for curing boils, and Harry found himself paired with a jumpy looking Hufflepuff. Upon seeing the girl's hands shaking too much to hold the knife without risk of injury, Harry switched with her and set about preparing the ingredients while she added them at Harry's prompting.

Snape swept around the room, observing everyone carefully. Everyone was criticized for something. Hermione was chastised for adding the dried nettles a minute too soon, and as a result the potion was a shade off of the desired color. Upon reaching Harry's station, he watched the boy carefully. He noticed that Harry worked with the knife as if he'd been holding one since birth.

"Um, it's time for the next ingredient," the Hufflepuff girl said. Harry nodded and paused in his work, placing the knife down. Harry lifted the porcupine quills before pausing.

"Have you taken the cauldron off the fire?" he asked. The girl shook her head. "Do that first; you don't want to ruin the potion." Harry told her. She complied, completing the task quickly. Harry tossed in the quills before continuing on. Snape moved away when he found no fault in the potion. Everything was correct; the pair were the first to finish.

At the end of class, Harry was asked to stay behind. The moment the last student was gone, Snape turned to him.

"You have been informed that I am to provide you with the Wolfsbane potion every month, correct?"

"Yes sir, that's what Dr. Thomas told me," Harry replied.

"Good, at the next full moon, you are to report here immediately after your last class. I will give you the potion and I will ensure that you drink all of it. Afterwards, I will escort you to the infirmary; Madam Pomfrey will provide you with a place to keep you locked up for the night. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, now leave," Snape ordered. Harry nodded and hurried off.

XxXxXxX

Harry made his way down to the grounds towards the hut Hagrid lived in. He'd received an invitation to visit the large man and he'd happily agreed. Harry found the front door and knocked. An incredibly loud baying sounded through the door and some shuffling was heard. The door opened a crack and Hagrid revealed himself.

"Oh, 'allo Harry, jus' a minute," Hagrid said before disappearing. "Back! Fang, back!" The door opened again and Hagrid let him in. The man was restraining a large boarhound by the collar. Once the door closed, he let go of the collar and the dog launched itself at Harry. It bowled him over and began to wash his face and ears thoroughly.

Harry laughed at the ticklish feeling until he began to gasp for breath. He growled softly and the Fan moved away and turned over onto his back, baring his stomach to Harry. Harry rubbed Fang's belly and squeezed his throat gently. Once satisfied, Fang flipped back over and followed Harry to the large table.

"So, 'Arry, how 'as your week been?" Hagrid asked while serving Harry some tea.

"Not so bad. Classes are pretty interesting, except for maybe History of Magic," Harry answered.

"You bein' treated all right by yer classmates?"

"Yeah, they've finally stopped staring. But Ron hates me now."

"Ron?"

"Ron Weasley, we shared a compartment on the train. He's pissed off because I'm not in Gryffindor. At least everyone else is being nicer about it."

"Doan worry abou' it 'Arry, its jus' tha' everybody expected ya ta be in Gryffindor," Hagrid said, offering Harry a rock cake. Harry took one and bit in to it, hiding his wince when he heard his jaw pop from trying to work so hard. Harry swallowed and drank his tea.

"I know, Ron's the only one who hasn't gotten over it yet," Harry said.

They continued to talk until it was nearly time for dinner and Harry trekked back up to the castle, his pocket laden with rock cakes as he'd been too polite to refuse them.

XxXxXxX

Harry was headed to the Great Hall for lunch when someone yelling absurd obscenities caught his attention.

"Malfoy! I'll get you for this! I'll rip off you fucking dick! Oh wait, you DON'T HAVE ONE!"

Looking around, Harry spotted a girl sprawled out on a staircase landing just below him. He noticed that her left leg was stuck out at an odd angle. Harry measured the distance between the staircase he was standing on and the girl's. Realizing that he could easily make the jump, he climbed over the banister and swung down onto the landing with ease.

"What'd Malfoy do now?" he asked her.

"The little bitch thought it would be funny to push me down the stairs. The fucker made me break a leg," the girl responded. She wore the Ravenclaw emblem on her robes, and if he remembered correctly she'd been sorted immediately after him. Harry knelt down beside her and searched for the break in her leg.

"Why'd he do that?"

"He's probably exercising his right to be a bastard to everyone," she responded. Harry pulled out his pocket knife and stuck it between her teeth.

"Bite down on that," he explained as he took her leg and with a tug and twist set the bone. She screamed quietly in pain, but showed no other sign of discomfort. Harry took the pocket knife back and wiped her spit off of it. "Let's get you to the Hospital Wing." Harry lifted her into his arms and paused to figure out which direction the Hospital Wing was before moving.

"So Potter, do you generally do this?"

"What?"

"Find random girls and help them?"

"No, I probably wouldn't have noticed you if you hadn't been threatening Malfoy," Harry responded.

"Oh, do you even know my name?" she asked.

"Alexandria Redwing," Harry said.

"Please don't use my full name, just call me Alex," Alex said.

"All right, you can call me Harry then," they came to the infirmary and Madam Pomfrey appeared, asking them what had happened.

"Malfoy shoved me down the stairs, bloody bastard that he is," Alex said.

"Language Miss Redwing," Madam Pomfrey said as she set about healing Alex's leg. Harry watched in fascination as magic seeped from Madam Pomfrey's wand to Alex's shin and absorbed into the skin to heal the bone. Once the magic faded away, she gate Alex's leg a gentle pat.

"There you go Miss Redwing, you be careful now," Madam Pomfrey said. Alex hopped off the bed and waved to the matron.

"I will, I don't plan on falling down anymore staircases anyway," she replied with a grin. "Come on Harry, let's get to lunch." Harry quickly followed the girl. He could get a proper look at her now that they were just about at eye level.

Alex was a bit shorter than Harry, and Harry was hardly tall for his age. She had dark brown hair that was cut in a style similar to a boy's haircut, but looked as if she'd done if herself. She also had green eyes, but they were a few shades darker than Harry's.

Harry's eyes swiveled over to where Malfoy sat looking quite smug, until he spotted Alex at least. The smirk on Malfoy's face disappeared and he appeared quite nervous. Harry and Alex sat down at the Ravenclaw table and ate, both wondering what Malfoy would do now.

XxXxXxX

By the next week, a silent competition between Hermione Granger and Harry Potter had fallen in among the first year students. The two Ravenclaws were always the fastest to raise their hands and give a complete answer. Harry picked up on the practical use of spells faster, but Hermione's understanding of the theory and ability to pronounce the incantations correctly brought her even with Harry.

Most of the other students wondered how they managed to remember so much; even their fellow Housemates were stumped. Alex would have loved to see if there was something one could do exceedingly well where the other could not. She sat between the two refereeing them when they studied, trying to regurgitate as much information as possible. Hermione usually won, simply because Harry had a limit on how much he could remember at one time.

When it came to History of Magic, Hermione's notes were always complete, meanwhile the pen markings on Harry's notebook attested to falling asleep with his pen in hand in the middle of a lecture. Plus Hermione's writing was considerably neater than Harry's.

In DADA, Harry had Hermione beat, spouting off the names of famous defeaters of dark lords, or hunters of various dark creatures, and their accomplishments. Hermione couldn't keep up, not sure how Harry knew so much.

They drew even in all other classes so far. Within one week, they'd won Ravenclaw more points then the rest of the class put together. The teachers thought it down right scary how the two could know so much.

It was now Tuesday of their second week, when one of the teachers entered the Ravenclaw common room and pinned a notice up on the bulletin board. Alex shifted in her seat slightly. Harry was reading a book beside her. Both were seated at opposite ends of the squashy navy blue couch before the fire.

"If you really want to know what it is, go look," Harry said, turning a page. Alex stared at him. "What?"

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"How do you know what I'm thinking?"

"I don't. You're body language gives you away. You're squirming like a four year old told not to take the last cookie from the cookie jar but you want to anyway and can't decide. So, go read what the flier says and come back," Alex sighed and stood up. After a minute, she returned.

"Flying lessons Friday before lunch. We're with the Hufflepuffs," she reported.

"When are we not with the Hufflepuffs?"

"You'd think they'd be started to realize that putting the Slytherins and Gryffindors together is like asking for a cat and dog get along," Harry's eyes appeared from behind the book, but he said nothing.

'If only she knew the half of that statement.' He thought. As if hearing the conversation, Mikan jumped up onto Alex's lap, purring loudly when the girl scratched her underneath the chin. The portrait hole opened and Hermione stepped through carrying a book about as big as she was under her arm.

"Holy fuck," Alex muttered.

"What is it?"

"I think Hermione's getting ready for another war with you," she told Harry.

"Is she now?"

"Yeah, book must weigh as much as she does."

"Must be some light reading," Harry remarked, flipping another page.

"Light reading? My God Harry, you two must be worth three whole damn encyclopedia sets put together. I'm amazed you've enough room in your brain to fit anything else."

"Whatever you say Alex, did you finish that essay for Herbology yet?"

"Not yet, why?"

"Just curious," Harry put his book down and pulled Mikan into his arms. He set the kitten down on his shoulder. "I'm going to the library, want to come?"

"No thanks, I need to finish that essay," Alex muttered before making her way towards the girl's dormitory.

XxXxXxX

For the next four days the students either fretted over the flying lesson, or in the case of Draco Malfoy and Seamus Finnigan, boasting about epic stories of escaping Muggles on their brooms. Hermione had found a book in the library called _Quidditch Through the Ages_ in an attempt at learning how to fly from a book.

"Hermione, there are some things that can't be learned that way," Harry told her as the girl absentmindedly shoved spoons of cereal into her mouth while reading away. She ignored him in favor of muttering in between bites. Harry sighed and hoped the day would just end already.

"Hey Harry, Nev's gotten something from his gran," Alex nudged the boy and pointed at Neville who was holding onto something. "Let's go check it out." She hopped up, dragging Harry along. Harry and Alex had run into Neville at the library earlier in the week, he'd practically begged Harry help with a Potions essay and Harry had agreed. From then on, the three could be found in the library every evening doing homework. Hermione joined them on occasion.

"Neville, watcha got there?" Alex asked.

"Oh, it's a Remembrall, Gran sent it to me, see, you hold it in your hand, and if it fills with red smoke, it means you've forgotten something," Neville explained. Just as he finished, the crystal orb filled with scarlet smoke. "But, I can't remember what I've forgotten."

"Makes it a bit useless then doesn't it?" Alex commented. A pale hand swooped in and took the glass ball from Neville's hand.

"What do we have here?" Malfoy sneered. He tossed the ball into the air and was about to catch it when it disappeared.

"Here you go Neville, why don't you put it away before you lose it," Harry suggested. Neville nodded before placing it in his bag carefully. "We'll see you later Nev." Harry and Alex headed off to class.

XxXxXxX

The Ravenclaws made their way down the sloping lawns of the school ground to where a teacher stood waiting for them. They approached and saw the brooms lined up in two rows, about three feet between each broom. Just behind them, the Hufflepuffs followed.

"Hurry up please!" the teacher called. Everyone stood around waiting for further direction. "Now, everyone stand beside a broom, place your right hand over the broom, and say 'Up!'" She ordered. Everyone did so.

"UP!" Harry's broom shot into his hand immediately. Alex's gave a feeble lift off the ground before flopping back down, she tried again and this time it floated slowly upwards into her hand. Hermione, who stood across from Harry, glared at her broom, but it simply rolled over.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to properly mount their brooms and how to grip it without sliding off the other end.

"Alright, on my whistle, you will kick off the ground hard, hover a few feet up, and then come back down by leaning forward slightly. Three – two – one," she blew her whistle and slowly everyone rose into the air. Hermione gripped onto the broom tightly, too afraid to go any higher. Harry took a deep breath and sighed. This felt wonderful, to be able to defy gravity like this. A few feet away, a girl screamed.

"SUSAN!" one of the Hufflepuff girls had lost control of her broom and was slowly rising higher into the air.

"Miss Bones!" Madam Hooch called to her.

"It won't go down!" Susan cried as the broom flew higher and higher, then it began to buck wildly. Harry could see terror etched across her ashen face and she held on for her life. By now, any fall from the broom would surely kill her. Susan held on for a few more seconds until the broom flipped her upside down.

She plummeted to the ground, and everything seemed to slow. She closed her eyes and waited for her body to smash against the grass, but it never happened. Opening her eyes, she saw that Harry had grabbed her by the arm and held on tightly. Susan hung eight feet off the ground.

"You okay?" he asked. Susan nodded. Slowly, Harry lowered the broom until Susan's feet touched the ground. He let go of her and landed. Everyone stared in shock and awe.

"Thank you, Harry," she said quietly, her body trembling slightly.

"No problem," Harry told her, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Miss Bones, are you alright?" Madam Hooch hurried to them.

"Yes, I'm fine Madam Hooch," Susan responded.

"Thank goodness," the woman sighed in relief. She then turned to Harry. "And Mr. Potter?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"That was a reckless thing you did there. Miss Bones could have easily pulled you off your own broom," Harry remained silent. "But I must say, I have never seen anyone fly like you in years. Not even Charlie Weasley could have done better." Madam Hooch gave him a small smile.

XxXxXxX

Before dinner, Harry found himself being introduced to the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, Adam Cooper. He was a wide shouldered sixth year and played the position of Chaser.

"So, Potter, from what Madam Hooch tells me you caught a girl from falling to her death," he remarked.

"Yeah," Harry answered. "I don't even remember moving, but the next thing I knew, I was holding onto her."

"Sounds to me like you're a natural, ever seen a game of Quidditch?" Harry shook his head in response. "Alright then, let's get the basics down first. It's simple enough once you know what to do." Adam bent over and opened up a box that had been sitting at his feet. "First off, there are three balls in Quidditch. There's the Quaffle." He lifted out soccer ball sized red ball and tossed it to Harry. "The Chasers, carry this ball, and toss it through one of the three hoops." He pointed to the hoops at either end of the Quidditch pitch where they stood.

"One goal equals ten points," Adam lifted something that looked like a cricket bat from the box. "Hold this please." Harry took the bat while Adam released the restraints on one of two violently moving balls. "Next is the Bludger. This is where most players get injuries. The Bludger flies around trying to knock players from their brooms. That bat is used by a Beater to knock the Bludger away from his team, and towards the opponents." The Bludger flew into the air before turning around, headed straight for Harry. Adjust his grip, Harry swung hard. The Bludger was knocked away a fair distance.

"Not bad Potter," Adam muttered. Bludger turned around and Adam took it to the stomach and wrestled the ball back into its restraints. He stood back up and grinned. "And finally, there's the last ball, the golden Snitch." Adam pulled a golden walnut sized ball from the box and placed in the palm of Harry's hand. "When the Seeker catches the Snitch, he wins his team one hundred and fifty points, and the game ends. Almost always, the team who's Seeker gets it wins." Adam explained.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure I follow. So there are how many positions again?" Harry asked.

"There are four different positions, seven players total. The Keeper – he prevents the Quaffle from going through a goal, there are the three Chasers – they carry the Quaffle, the two Beaters, and then the Seeker. Since we've got a full team this year, you'll be our reserve seeker. Waltmann, our current Seeker is a seventh year, so you'll be a starting player next year. I'll introduce you to the rest of the team when we start practice in a week and a half. Well, let's head back up to the castle and get dinner.

XxXxXxX

When Harry entered the Great Hall, he noticed that Malfoy was looking like someone had stolen his favorite toy. As soon as he sat down, Alex caught his attention.

"Did you hear? Malfoy got detention!" she sniggered.

"How?"

"Oh, well, apparently the broom that almost killed Susan tried to off Nev. He broke his wrist, but he had his Remembrall in his pocket at the time, and it fell out when Madam Hooch took him to the Hospital Wing. Anyway, Malfoy took it and was going to throw it on the roof, but a freak wind made it change direction and it broke McGonagall's office window! He's got two hours of detention with Filch for theft and destruction of school property!" Alex was dancing in her seat she was so happy.

"Why don't we go see if Neville's still in the infirmary after dinner," said Harry.

"Sure, then we can all laugh at Malfoy together," Alex responded before shoving a large bit of kidney pie into her mouth. "You wanna come with us Hermione?" Alex asked the bushy haired girl.

"Okay," Hermione nodded as she served herself some more potatoes.

XxXxXxX

"Hey Nev, how ya feeling?" Alex asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Neville was just finishing off his dinner when the three entered.

"I'm fine, nothing Madam Pomfrey couldn't fix quickly," he answered. "So, you heard about Malfoy then?" The trio nodded. "Professor McGonagall came by earlier and returned my Remembrall to me; she was rather nice about it too." Neville said.

"We're just glad you're okay Neville, the same broom nearly killed Susan Bones," Hermione said. Neville's eyes widened.

"Yeah but Harry saved her, didn't ya Harry," Alex elbowed him in the ribs. "The catch got him on Ravenclaw's reserve team for Quidditch."

"What happened to the broom?" Harry asked Neville.

"It flew away above the Forbidden Forest," Neville said. "But that's great Harry, what position are you playing?"

"Reserve Seeker, Cooper said I'll be replacing the current Seeker next year too," Harry told the boy. Madam Pomfrey appeared from her office.

"You'd all best be heading off, wouldn't want to get in trouble. Curfew's in twenty minutes. You may leave too Mr. Longbottom," she said taking away the tray that sat on the bed side table beside Neville's bed. Neville got up and smiled.

"Come one Nev, we'll walk you back to Gryffindor Tower," Harry volunteered. The four made their way out of the Hospital Wing.

XxXxXxX

"What's wrong Neville?" Hermione asked.

"The Fat Lady's gone, I can't get in until she comes back," Neville whispered.

"Oh, so what should we do?" Harry asked Neville.

"I don't know. The Fat Lady could be gone for hours for all I know. And if Filch or Mrs. Norris comes by I'll be in trouble."

"Come on, we'll head back up to the infirmary and ask Madam Pomfrey to let you stay for the night," Hermione said. The other three agreed and they turned to go the way they came.

As they passed by the trophy room, they heard a voice drift from within it.

"What's wrong my dear, someone lurking about?" they all froze at the sound of Filch's voice.

"Oh fuck, we're fucked aren't we?" Alex mouthed. Harry motioned for them to follow him, and they quickly and silently, Neville tripped and grabbed onto Alex. The pair went tumbling into a suit of armor. The noise was loud enough to wake the dead.

"Oh hell, RUN!" Alex yelled as she pulled herself and Neville to their feet. Running through the corridors blindly, they came to a halt near the Charms classroom.

"I think we've lost him," Harry gasped between breaths.

"I'm sorry," Neville stared at his feet.

"It's okay Nev, anyone of us could have done something like that," Alex reassured him.

"Okay, we're by the Charms room, are we near Gryffindor Tower Neville?" Hermione asked.

"No, we're really far away," Neville answered.

"Maybe the Fat Lady's back and she'll let you in," Harry suggested to Neville. He nodded in agreement. "Let's get Nev back to Gryffindor Tower as quickly as possible." They set off once again.

But things were never that simple, not if Harry Potter was involved. He hated Murphy's Law and its unhealthy obsession with him.

Peeves had zoomed out of a classroom cackling loudly. He halted when he spotted the four students. He giggled in delight.

"Tut, tut, Ickle Firsties out wandering this time of night? You're being very naughty," he grinned.

"No Peeves, be quiet," Harry hissed.

"Should tell Filch, yes, I should," Peeves muttered. "For your own good." He nodded sagely.

"Get out of our way, you pathetic waste of space," Alex swiped at Peeves. That was a big mistake.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves yelled at the top of his lungs. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Harry cursed and ran, the others following. They came to the end of the corridor and Harry smacked into a locked door.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck," Alex continued to chant over and over. Harry pulled out his wand and muttered an incantation.

"_Alohamora_," he pointed the wand at the lock and yanked the door open. They all ducked inside and shut the door.

"Peeves! Where'd they go?" Filch yelled as he reached the poltergeist. Harry's nose twitched, something in the room smelled familiar but he ignored it. He could hear Peeves and Filch arguing before the sound of their voices were gone, and so were they.

"Filch must think the door's locked," Hermione whispered. Neville tugged at Harry's sleeve.

"What is it Neville?" he asked. His voice trailing off when he locked eyes with what it was that had Neville whimpering. They stood face to face with a huge three headed dog. It seemed that it had been surprised by their appearance, but was quickly recovering if the growling was anything to go by. Harry cursed and growled back automatically. The three heads quirked to the side, but then it seemed to realize something and growled even louder. "Run!" Harry cried. They tumbled out of the corridor. The door relocked and they stared in horror at how close they'd been to getting eaten. They quickly ran back to Gryffindor Tower and spotted the Fat Lady.

"What on earth are you four doing out here?" she asked them in shock. Harry shook his head. Neville gave the password and disappeared with a quick wave.

The three Ravenclaw students made it to the Ravenclaw common room without any more mishaps.

"What the hell is Dumbledore thinking? Keeping something like that locked up in a _school_ of all things?!" Alex cried.

"You didn't see what it was standing on, did you?" Hermione asked.

"No, the heads were a bit distracting Hermione," Alex responded.

"A trap door, it was standing on a trap door," Harry answered.

"So? You don't think it's guarding something?" Alex asked incredulously.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Harry murmured.

"I think I've had enough life threatening experiences for the night, I'm going to bed," Hermione announced and disappeared into the girls' dormitories.

"She's got a point Harry, we should get some sleep while we can," Alex said turning to leave. "By the way, your eyes, they don't look very green anymore. They look more like an amber color." She said before leaving. Harry raised an eyebrow before heading up to the first year dormitory to sleep.

**Before you guys start bitching about a Mary-Sue, take a look at Alex's personality and tell me she's a Mary-Sue. From what I recall, Mary-Sues don't crse every other word just about. Honestly, I took a Mary-Sue lithmus test, and she's right in the middle of being a shitty character and a Mary-Sue. Please review!**


	6. 1:4 :: Crash

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 6: Crash

Alex had noticed the slow change of Harry's eyes from their vibrant green to looking like pools of liquid amber. If it hadn't been for the fact that it made her nervous, she would have found his eyes to be quite beautiful. Harry's temper had become shorter as well, snapping at anything that he found even remotely annoying. He'd nearly pushed Malfoy over the banister of a stair case two days ago when the blond boy insulted Alex.

Today was halfway through the third week of term and Harry was looking rather ill. His face was pale, there were heavy bags under his eyes and his lips were slightly parted as if he were having a hard time breathing normally. The last class they had that day was Herbology and Harry was looking progressively worse as time went on.

"Harry, you alright mate?" she asked him quietly while Professor Sprout lectured.

"Not really," Harry answered. "I'll go and see Madam Pomfrey after class." He assured her. Alex nodded and turned back to the lesson. Harry couldn't remember feeling this terrible before a transformation. Not even his first one had been like this. Perhaps it was the fact that he was in a new place, but he couldn't be sure. He stifled a yawn and hoped that he looked ill enough to convince his friends to leave him be until tomorrow.

XxXxXxX

After a little convincing, Harry had managed to get Alex and Hermione to leave him alone. He trudged down to the dungeons and came to Snape's classroom. He knocked and a muffled answer reached him. Opening the door, the first thing that Harry noticed was a steaming goblet sitting on Snape's desk.

"Hurry up and drink it Potter. The sooner the night is over the better," Snape said.

"Yes sir," Harry stepped forward and lifted the goblet to his lips. With a deep breath he tossed his head back, along with the contents of the goblet. Harry swallowed and set the goblet down. Snape looked at the goblet to make sure he'd taken all of it.

"Very good, let's go," Snape rose and led Harry from the room. They walked silently to the infirmary and Harry looked around for Madam Pomfrey. The healer popped out of her office and ushered Harry over. Snape swept from the room.

"Have you taken your potion Harry?" she asked him. He nodded. "Good. Now over here, we've constructed a room for your use. Its warded so you can't get out once you're inside, and completely soundproof. No one will know you're in there, with the exception of myself and Professor Dumbledore." Harry opened the door and looked around. There was a huge window the showed him the setting sun. Other than that, there wasn't much else in the room. A table in one corner that bore a tray with a plate of food.

"So I just sit in here tonight?" he asked.

"Yes, that's right. I asked if you could be let out onto the grounds, but the risk of someone seeing was too high, so you'll be in here," Madam Pomfrey explained.

"I see," Harry walked into the center of the room and threw his arms out, letting his senses stretch out. "It should be fine." He said after a moment of silent contemplation.

"I will be by in the morning to unlock the door and let you rest out here. You've already been excused from classes for the day," Madam Pomfrey told him as she shut the door behind her.

Harry walked over to the small table and picked up the sandwich sitting on a plate. It was hot roast beef and melted Swiss cheese. Taking a bite Harry grinned, the roast beef was a bit on the red side. He ate his dinner, thinking.

'So this is how it's going to be for seven years. I'd better start thinking on seven years worth of excuses.' Harry thought. He looked around the room again, the walls were white, like the rest of the hospital wing, but it didn't have that annoying smell of disinfectants that made his nose itch. It felt like a normal room, an empty one, but normal nonetheless. He stared out the large window watching the sun set slowly. So he was stuck in here for another fifteen hours. He might as well kill time.

Harry finished eating and began to stretch and warm up, running several laps around the room. With a quick roll of his shoulders, Harry began running through a simple kata. It was the first Jon had taught him. Breathing deeply, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, moving in smooth fluid movements. He struck slow, steady blows at invisible opponents. If anyone were to see him, they'd have thought he was performing some sort of dance. Harry felt the cool air of the room prickle against his heated skin. His robes and the upper half of his clothing, along with his socks and shoes lay in a pile in one corner.

The first kata complete, Harry shifted seamlessly into the next one. This kata was longer, and faster than the first. He fell into the routine, hardly thinking about it, and slipped into a trance, no longer aware of his outer surroundings.

After two hours of doing nothing but running through the kata, he halted in the middle of a high kick, his body going rigid. Quickly reorienting himself, Harry removed the remainder of his clothing and curled up into a ball in the center of the room.

This transformation was just as painful as the last. Harry whimpered and his body convulsed with the change. Just before the animal within fully surged forth, Harry looked out the window and his body was bathed in the glow of the full moon.

XxXxXxX

The next morning at seven thirty Harry heard the Madam Pomfrey unlock the door. It opened slowly and Harry reached for the nearest object to cover his body. He wrapped his robes around the lower half of his body just as Madam Pomfrey's head appeared at the door.

"Here are some pajamas you can wear," she put them down and disappeared. Harry rose from his spot on the floor and picked up the fresh clothing. He dressed and came out of the room. Madam Pomfrey was waiting. She stood beside a bed, a tray of food sitting on the night stand. "Now come eat while I check you over and you can go to sleep Mr. Potter." Harry obeyed and sat down on the bed and ate the large breakfast of a ham, cheese, and mushroom omelet, a stack of blueberry pancakes, and potatoes. He drank the large glass of milk and pumpkin juice.

Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over his body throughout all of this, muttering to herself.

"Roll up your sleeves," she ordered. Harry complied, his fork sticking out of his mouth. Long scratches and bite marks riddled his arms. "Hmm, this behavior doesn't usually start so soon."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"It is natural for a werewolf to want to bite and scratch. But if a person is turned when they are young that want and need doesn't become strong until puberty sets in. You are a few years away from that, so the compulsion to bite and scratch shouldn't be too strong yet. But based on the damage you have done to your own arms, the urge shouldn't be too strong yet. If anything, you'd be spending most of the night pacing around, expending energy that way. But the compulsion is already strong. It's something I've never seen before."

"Have you had many students that are werewolves?" Harry asked.

"Only one other student, he, unlike you, was a registered werewolf. Professor Dumbledore had to fight for his right to attend Hogwarts. Back then, the Wolfsbane potion didn't exist yet, and we had to take a great deal of precautions to ensure his safety and the safety of the students. Now, finish your breakfast and get some sleep."

Madam Pomfrey completed her check on Harry and went to her office. Harry finished eating and set the empty try aside.

As he drifted off, he was glad to know that he wasn't the only person to enter Hogwarts as something other than completely human. Harry wondered who the man was to brave the school while facing so much prejudice. 'Must have been a Gryffindor.' He thought as he fell asleep.

XxXxXxX

"Quiet Alex! You'll wake him up!" someone hissed. Harry groaned and turned over. He knew those scents. Alex's smelled oddly of curry and something else he couldn't identify. Hermione carried a floral scent; no doubt it was whatever shampoo she used, along with a hint of cinnamon. Neville, like Professor Sprout, smelled strongly of freshly turned earth before the fertilizer was added.

"Listen to 'Mione," he grumbled and sat up. Hermione sat at the end of his bed while Alex had commandeered the only chair in the whole room. Neville stood off to the side.

"Feeling better mate?" Alex asked.

"A bit," Harry answered.

"You don't look as pale as you did yesterday," she said.

"What time is it?" Harry asked them.

"Lunch time, class starts again in a few minutes though," Neville replied. Harry was surprised, he rarely slept that late. Then again, a transformation had never been so rough on him before.

'Note to self: ask Madam Pomfrey why I still feel like shit.'

"Will you be back for class tomorrow Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, did I miss anything important today?"

"No, nothing important," Alex told him. Hermione glared at her. "What?"

"We went over several important dates for the goblin rebellions," the bushy haired girl said.

"We do that everyday," Harry muttered. Alex snickered. Madam Pomfrey appeared from her office carrying another tray of food. Alex moved out of the way so that the Healer could place it across Harry's lap. He licked his lips. Harry didn't realize he was so hungry after such a large breakfast. The plate contained three turkey sandwiches, with the lettuce and tomato on the side. He stuffed the lettuce into the sandwiches but ignored the tomatoes. He bit into the first one and took off another large piece before chewing.

"You eat worse than Ron," Neville murmured. Harry blinked. He swallowed and took a sip of pumpkin juice to chase it down.

"I do?"

"Well, not worse. You actually swallow before talking. He just doesn't care if half his food ends up someone else," Neville told him. Harry nodded as he finished off the first sandwich, crust and all. Harry ate and listened to his three friends have one-sided conversations with him. Hermione did most of the talking, discussing their classes and what Harry had missed so far that day.

"You three off to class now," Madam Pomfrey shooed them away. With a quick parting, they left the Hospital Wing. Harry fell back onto the bed and sighed. "Are you still tired Harry?"

"Not really."

"Well at least you're recovering normally. I'll release you for dinner. Make sure to eat enough, you're a bit on the skinny side, even for a werewolf."

"Is that why you're feeding me so much?"

"Yes, you may be physically fit, but that's pointless if you haven't the energy to keep going. If I must, I'll have your friends make sure you eat," Madam Pomfrey threatened. Harry nodded in understanding. "Good." The Healer walked away.

XxXxXxX

The first Saturday of October found Harry standing on the Quidditch Pitch with the rest of the Ravenclaw team. Adam introduced each team member and their position. The two other chasers were a short second year and a fourth year boy. The second year girl wouldn't stop staring at Harry and he found it to be rather annoying. The only other girl on the starting team was the Seeker, Waltmann. She refused to let anyone call her anything else but Waltmann, so Harry didn't even know what her first name was.

The Keeper was a sixth year boy; he looked like he was all arms and legs. The two beaters were a pair of cousins, both broad shouldered and stoutly built. He was also introduced to the reserve team. The reserve team was made up of nothing but boys as well.

"All right, since Potter's our newest addition, what do you say we break him in?" Adam suggested with a grin.

"Fine by me, we can even play a full practice game. Reserves against us," the second year girl suggested.

"Sound like a good idea Cho, any objections?" Adam looked over the team. No one spoke. "Great, grab a broom from the closet in the locker room and get back out here Potter." Harry ran off to grab a broom. Looking over the ancient brooms, he selected the one in the best condition and hurried back.

"Clean Sweep Seven?" Waltmann gave him a strange look.

"It's the only one I'm willing to trust in that closet," Harry answered.

"Waltmann, Potter, we're starting now," Adam snapped. They two Seekers mounted their brooms and took off. Harry took a deep breath and sighed. He'd never felt so free before. Harry weaved between the others reveling in the feel of the wind in his face. Harry had always loved heights; the danger that involved in climbing a tall tree made it all the more thrilling, but this, this was something in a class of its own. To be able to defy gravity, to fly and have nothing pull one down. It made his spirits soar and his heart lift with the exhilaration. He performed a barrel roll to avoid the Bludgers as one of the cousins shot by. He noticed that Waltmann was hovering above everyone, searching. Harry ascended and began to scan for a glint of gold in the fading light. He ducked under the bat of one of the reserve Beaters and went on looking. He saw Waltmann diving and he tore after her.

Harry drew up even next to the girl. Waltmann's arm was outstretched for the Snitch when a Bludger came at her. Harry grabbed her broom by the handle and pulled her down. The Bludger soared past them, and the moment of distraction allowed Harry to pull forward and grab the Snitch.

"I've got the Snitch!" he cried and the rest of the game came to a halt. The team cheered for him, but Waltmann wore a sour look.

"Why the hell did you grab my broom Potter?" she demanded angrily.

"That Bludger was going to take your arm off!" Harry answered.

"You're not supposed to do that, you could get a foul for that Potter!" she snapped angrily.

"Do honestly expect me to know all the rules? I didn't even know what Quidditch was until I got here," Harry responded.

"Cut him some slack Waltmann, it's not his fault," Adam said. "Just don't do it again Harry. If you want the complete rules go check out _Quidditch Through the Ages_ from the library." He told Harry. The boy nodded. "Now, that was a great catch Harry, even if that broom is a piece of shit. I'll talk to Professor Flitwick and see if we can bend the rules and get you something better. Practice is over today, come back next Saturday at four. Our first match is against Hufflepuff and their new Seeker is nothing to laugh at, even if the rest of them are." There were a few scattered chuckles in the group. "Let's hit the showers people."

XxXxXxX

Halloween hit the castle at full force. The entire week before the actual day the first years were already bouncing off the walls in pseudo-sugar highs. Harry never had anything to look forward to on Halloween. He never got any candy from his aunt and uncle, and even if he managed to steal one from the candy bowl he always got caught. Plus it was the anniversary of his parents' death. Ten years since they'd last walked the earth, and Harry knew virtually nothing about them.

At lunch, the three Ravenclaws joined Neville at the Gryffindor table to help him with the levitation charm. As Neville flicked his wand at the piece of parchment on the table, it gave a slightly wobble upwards before becoming still. Ron Weasley was practicing as well, he was shaking his battered wand furiously at his bit of parchment but nothing happened.

"Stop, stop," Hermione halted his arms gently. "You're pronouncing it wrong, it's Wing-_gar_-dium Levi-_o_-sa, and you're accenting the wrong syllables." Hermione told him calmly. Ron turned red.

"You try it then," he snapped. Hermione drew her wand from her pocket and performed the movements.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_" she cried. The parchment rose from the table to hover above their heads. Ron's face now matched his hair and he looked rather sour. A moment later, Neville succeeded as well.

"Thanks Hermione, Harry too," he said with a smile. Ron scowled.

"Bloody know-it-all. At least we don't have to deal with you everyday, right Neville?" Ron asked. Harry looked at Hermione who looked like she was about to burst into tears. She rose from the table and ran off. Harry glared at Ron.

"Actually Ron, Hermione's really nice. She's helped me with my Potions, and she isn't mean about it if I don't understand something," Neville said.

"Good going Weasley," Harry snapped as he got up and left the table to restrain Alex, who'd been passing and heard Ron's comment.

XxXxXxX

They didn't see Hermione for the rest of the day, and it made Harry and Alex worried. Neville had snapped at Ron later on when the redhead showed no guilt for insulting Hermione.

Later that day as they headed towards the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, they overhead Padma Patil telling Lisa Turpin that Hermione was crying in the bathroom and refused to leave. Harry cast Alex a glance; she simply shook her head at the silent question.

They came to the Great Hall and were in awe of the decorations. Live bats fluttered along the walls and ceiling and swooped about in clouds. The candles had been placed within carved pumpkins setting the hall into an eerie glow. Harry and Alex sat together and the golden plates became laden with food.

Harry snatched up a baked potato and a large helping of ham when Professor Quirrell dashed into the hall. His robes were in disarray and his turban wasn't resting upon his head properly.

"Troll! Troll in the dungeon!" he cried as he approached the staff table. Leaning heavily upon it before Dumbledore he muttered, "Thought you ought to know," before falling into a faint.

Chaos ensued. Students screamed and rose from their seats, and didn't calm until Dumbledore ordered them all to silence.

"Prefects," he said calmly, "please lead your Houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons." Dumbledore said.

"All right! Ravenclaws, let's get out of here! Quickly please!" the fifth year prefect Penelope Clearwater directed them. They began making their way from the Great Hall.

"How the hell could a fucking troll get in?" Alex asked.

"Dunno, from what I've read, they aren't exactly smart. It could have been Peeves, though I don't think he'd do something like that," Harry answered before stopping short and grabbing Alex by the arm.

"What?"

"Hermione! We've got to find her," Harry said.

"Harry, do you really think the teachers would let a troll get up here from the dungeons?"

"No, but still, the nearest girl bathroom is near there isn't it? What if it does make it passed the teachers?"

"Harry Potter, this is the stupidest thing you've done. You're turning into a bloody Gryffindor," Alex muttered as they separated from their House and moved away.

"I'm bound to have a little Gryffindor in me," Harry responded. They ducked into line with the Hufflepuffs before sneaking into a side corridor. They ran for the girls' bathroom, but halted and ducked into an alcove when footsteps followed them. They looked to see Ron coming up behind them.

"Wait up," he wheezed.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"It's my fault – my fault Hermione's in danger," Ron answered. Harry narrowed his eyes.

"So now you feel guilty?"

"I'm really sorry; I'm just being a prat again," he said.

"Guy, someone else is coming!" Alex hissed and Harry pulled Ron into the alcove. This time it was Snape that ran by. "What the hell is he doing? Shouldn't he be in the dungeons?"

"Who knows, come on," Harry led them further down the corridor, but hid within another alcove when heavy rumbling footsteps reached their ears. Harry wrinkled his nose. "Do you smell that?" he asked.

"Smell wh – fucking shit, what is that _smell_?" Alex brought the sleeve of her robe up to her nose.

A patch of weak moonlight illuminated a twelve feet tall monster. The troll dragged a huge club along behind it and walked through a doorway.

"Hey, the key's in the lock, we can lock it in," Ron suggested. Alex whacked him on the head.

"That's the girl's bathroom you idiot, Hermione might be…" she trailed off when a scream echoed through the hall. Harry bolted for the bathroom, moving quickly enough that the other two barely saw him move. He cursed. He hadn't been able to smell Hermione because the troll's scent was so overpowering and disgusting. He made it to the door in time to see the troll's club come down upon a bundle curled up beneath a sink.

"HERMIONE!" he screamed. Sliding between the troll's short legs, he came up and tried to grab the club. For all his strength, it was still no match of the troll's. His arms creaked from the pressure before the ugly beast raised the club again and he went with it. "Oh shit!" Harry clung to the club for dear life. He heard shuffling behind the troll, and risking a glance, Ron and Alex were throwing bits of tile, ceramic, and wood at it.

Ron nailed it in the head with a sink tap and it turned to look stupidly at the two. It brought the club down them, taking Harry with it. He lost his grip and slammed against the wall behind Alex and Ron.

"Harry!" Alex helped him sit up.

"Get 'Mione out of here Alex," he murmured as he struggled to regain his senses. Alex nodded and while the troll was distracted by Ron, she pulled Hermione out from beneath the remaining sinks and pulled the frightened girl towards the door. Hermione was unable to move her legs and the troll lost interest in Ron. It rounded on Hermione and Alex. Harry pushed himself to his feet, swept his robes off, and with a powerful leap landed on the troll's shoulders, robes falling over its face. His robes blinded the monster and it flailed helplessly. The club continued to smash against the walls, sinks, and stalls.

Ron drew his wand, and yelled out the first spell that came to mind, "Wingardium Leviosa!" the club was pulled away from the trolls hand, and it halted in it's movements for a moment. Harry jumped from its shoulders, and Ron released the spell on the club. It fell upon the troll's head, knocking it out instantly. Harry landed in a crouch, his robes trapped beneath the weight of the troll. He took a shuddering breath, and only now did he feel the throbbing in his arms and back.

"Is-is it dead?" Hermione asked in a quietly voice.

"No, just knocked out," Harry answered as he stood up. He lightly ran his hands up and down his arms and was glad he hadn't broken anything.

Loud footsteps and the door banging open revealed McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell. They three teachers stared at the destruction of the chamber.

"What on earth –?" McGonagall sputtered. "Explain yourselves this instant!" she snapped at the four.

"Uh, well," Alex began until Hermione spoke up.

"They were looking for me, Professor," she said. The three turned to look at her.

"Miss Granger?" McGonagall looked very surprised.

"I-I went looking for the troll, I read about them and thought I could handle it by myself. If they hadn't found me, I'd probably be dead," Harry kept the surprise from his face, no point in making the lie even more obvious.

"Even so Miss Granger, that was very reckless of you. The fact that the four of you took on a fully grown mountain troll and lived to speak of it is a miracle," McGonagall said sternly. Hermione stared at her shoes. "Five points will be taken from Ravenclaw." She said finally. "And five points will be awarded to each of you." She looked over at Ron, Harry, and Alex. "Mr. Weasley, come with me, the Houses are finishing the feast in their common rooms. Professor Snape, please escort the others to Ravenclaw Tower." She requested. Snape nodded. The three Ravenclaws followed the Potions Master up to the tower. Harry noticed that the man had a rather pronounced limp.

"That's a rather Gryffindor thing of you to do Mr. Potter, you're father would be happy," Snape said. Harry didn't miss the way Snape said the word "father".

"Why's that sir?" he asked.

"He was always looking for trouble, his little group of friends were always up to something," Snape answered.

"And my mother?" Harry asked curiously. He barely caught the look of pain in Snape's eyes.

"Your mother was the one that always tried to stop Potter from doing something stupid. She was the voice in his ear that told him not to do something, not that he ever listened. I still don't understand why she married him," Snape said. "She was a good woman, I'm sorry you never had a chance to meet her."

They came to a halt outside the portrait hole and Snape nodded to the three before stalking off.

XxXxXxX

The next morning Ron approached the Ravenclaw table, and after much stuttering, apologized to Hermione. She accepted it with a smile; Ron made a hasty retreat for the Gryffindor table, sitting across from Neville. As the owls swooped in to deliver mail, Alex's owl dropped a letter on Harry's plate before landing before Alex and eating the girl's bacon rinds. He recognized the writing as Jon's. He picked it up to open when four more owls came in, bearing a long package between them. They set it down on the center of the table. There was a folded piece of parchment which Harry looked at first.

"Don't open this at the table, wait until later." It was signed by both Professor Flitwick and Adam. He looked down the table at Adam, who had been watching him and gave a quick nod. He then tore open the letter from Jon.

_Yo! Arashi,_

_Sorry I couldn't reply immediately, I've been a bit busy. I got laid off and had to find another job. But enough about my boring adult existence. How's Hogwarts? Your teachers treating you right? Having fun? Leave out no detail!_

_Oh, I've been called back to States for my sister's wedding, since Dad's dead and I'm set to be the family head as soon as I get married, I have to give her away at the ceremony. I'd rather have a Buddhist wedding, these Christian ones are ridiculous, but her fiancé is Christian, so I'm stuck in a tux for a whole day. Don't expect to hear from me until Christmas. I'll be stuck there until New Year's at the very latest. My mom keeps calling me, won't stop going on about how much she misses me. Kind of annoying. Every other call on the answering machine is her. Since I'll be gone, tell me what you want for Christmas, I'll send it to you early._

_That's it for now kid, keep up the hard work, and you had better not have gone soft by next June or I'll work you until you drop dead! You have been warned._

_Sensei_

Harry's lip twitched in a smile as he stuffed the letter into his pocket to reply to later. He lifted the long package from the table.

"I'm just going to put this away," he told Alex and Hermione. He hurried up to Ravenclaw Tower and placed the package in the second compartment of his trunk and locked it. He hurried off to class before he was late.

XxXxXxX

"Have you opened up that package you got this morning?" Alex asked. Harry looked up from the letter he was writing to Jon.

"Not yet, why?"

"Let's open it now, the only other people in here is the rest of your team," she suggested, gesturing to the other team members. Harry nodded and raced up to the dormitory to grab it. He came back down and placed it on the table. Hermione frowned when he accidentally knocked her Potions book over. With Alex's help, they removed the bindings and unwrapped the brown paper to reveal a sleek new racing broom.

"Whoa," Harry murmured.

"That's a Nimbus Two-Thousand! Harry, they got you the best broom on the market!" Alex exclaimed, her eyes wide. The rest of the team immediately encircled the table and stared in awe at the broom.

"Are you serious? How'd you get Professor Flitwick to agree to that?" Cho asked Adam.

"He is of the opinion that the Quidditch Cup has been in the hands of the Slytherins for too long. He likes the idea of it sitting in his office sometime in the near future," Adam replied.

"So Potter gets a fancy new broom, what about the rest of us? We're still flying Comets," Waltmann muttered. Harry could see jealousy in her eyes and hear bitterness in her voice. The seventh year girl stalked off.

"Don't worry about her Potter, she's just a little miffed that she's been on the team since her second year and we haven't won very many games," Davies said. Harry nodded.

"I suppose," Harry looked off in the direction Waltmann had disappeared to.

"Our first match is against Hufflepuff, we're sure to beat them, even if they've got Diggory," Adam proclaimed.

"Diggory?" Harry looked up at them.

"Pretty boy Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff's only hope," Davies said. "Probably the only Hufflepuff with a backbone."

"Is he really?"

"At least he's a gentleman," said Cho. "He isn't like Slytherin's Seeker, knocked Waltmann off her broom last year, almost broke her neck." She had a slightly dreamy look in her eyes.

"Chang fancies him," one of the cousins, Robert muttered. Cho stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, as fun as this is, I have homework to finish," Davies said before leaving the three Ravenclaws on their own. Soon, the rest of the team walked away as well. Harry finished his letter to Jon but was too tired to run up to the owlry to send off the letter.

He packed up his things and went up to the dormitory where Mikan was walking the perimeter of his bed. The striped kitten had a habit of doing that, and Harry couldn't understand what the purpose of it was. He had deducted that Mikan was a strange little animal that was smarter than most. He scooped Mikan into his arms and plopped down onto the bed. Mikan curled up on his chest, gazing at him with intelligent teal eyes. She mewed softly and batted his chin with a paw.

"What?" he asked. She inclined her head slightly and continued to stare. He reached up and scratched her behind the ears and worked his way down her back. Mikan arched and purred loudly. "So Mikan, are you really a cat, or something else entirely?" He asked her as he continued his ministrations. Mikan just meowed again. "You're certainly a strange little one. Maybe I'll find out one day." With that said, Harry got up to change and fell asleep again.

XxXxXxX

The second Quidditch game of the season dawned on a crisp mid-November morning. The whole team, including the reserves headed down to breakfast together. Harry didn't eat quite as much as he usually did because of his nerves.

"Come on Harry, you might end up needed to play today so you'll need your strength," Hermione said.

"I hope I don't have to play," he muttered. "What if I make a fool of myself?"

"You won't make a fool of yourself," Hermione said.

"Why's that?"

"It's in your blood. I walked through the trophy room a few weeks ago, your father played Quidditch for Gryffindor. You were born to play Harry," Alex told him.

"Really?" Harry looked a little more relaxed now.

"Yep, would I ever have a reason to lie to you?" Alex asked him.

"Well no, but you never know," Harry said as he shoveled a large bite of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

XxXxXxX

Harry adjusted the strap on his gloves to make sure they were tight enough. The Ravenclaw team wore blue robes, and they were all completing their preparations. The Andrews cousins were in the middle of performing some sort of ritual to get their adrenaline going. It involved them smacking each other on the head, harder each time. There was also a lot of yelling of expletives. He ignored them in favor of pushing his hair out of his face.

"All right, this is our first game of the year. Gryffindor lost last week by seventy points. Currently Slytherin is the lead for the Cup, if we win today we'll jump up to second place. So, let's get out there and whip the Hufflepuffs," Adam declared. There was a rousing cheer from the thirteen other people in the room. "Let's go!"

They left the locker rooms and entered the pitch. The reserve players sat off to the side to watch everything. A voice called above the crowd the names of the players.

"For Ravenclaw, we have Cooperson, Chang, Davies, Andrews, Andrews, O'Neill, and Waltmann!" the crowd's cheering increased tenfold. Harry watched as the starting team circled the Pitch once and came to a halt and waited for the Hufflepuffs to be announced. Madam Hooch appeared on the field, carrying the crate that held the balls and set it on the ground.

"Now I want a nice clean game, from all of you," she said. Adam and the Hufflepuff shook hands before mounting their brooms. Madam Hooch opened the crate and the Bludgers and Snitch shot out of it. She lifted the Quaffle, and with a blast of her whistle, tossed it into the air. The Ravenclaws were in motion immediately. Cho grabbed the Quaffle and maneuvered through two Hufflepuff chasers as they both reached to steal the ball from her.

Harry watched carefully. He noted that Waltmann hovered above the game, searching for the Snitch, the Hufflepuff Seeker doing the same.

"CHANG SCORES! TEN POINTS FOR RAVENCLAW!" Harry recognized the commentator to be the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan. Jordan continued to announce who passed to whom, and who stole the Quaffle until Jordan gasped. "DIGGORY HAS SIGHTED THE SNITCH!" The boy cried excitedly. "AND THERE GOES WALTMANN BEHIND HIM."

The Seeker – now known as Cedric Diggory – was going into a straight nosedive. Waltmann was right behind him, until a Bludger came out of nowhere and struck her in the ribs. Harry winced. Waltmann fell from her broom and plummeted to the ground. Cedric stopped his dive and tried to catch her, but it was too late. Waltmann struck the ground with a horrid crunch. Harry bit his lip, praying the girl was okay. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the game ground to a halt as she landed to check on Waltmann. Madam Pomfrey appeared from the other side of the pitch and quickly took Waltmann away.

"Potter you're up!" Adam cried. Harry gulped and the others beside him gave him an encouraging smile. Harry mounted his broom, and the game began anew.

"AND HERE COMES RAVENCLAW'S RESERVE SEEKER, HARRY POTTER!" the sound of the cheering crowd was deafening. Harry followed Waltmann's tactic and hovered above the rest of the game.

"You all right there Harry?" one of the cousins blew past chasing the Bludger; he wasn't sure which one it was. The cousins' fathers were twins, so even they looked very much alike. He simply nodded. Harry searched for a glint of gold, and then he saw it. It was hovering around the Hufflepuff goal posts. Glancing at Diggory, he saw that the fourth year boy hadn't seen it yet. He grinned and shot towards the Ravenclaw end of the pitch.

"WHAT'S THIS? POTTER HAS SPOTTED THE SNITCH?" Jordan wondered. Harry flew through one of the hoops and fell into a dive. Cedric right behind him. Adam grabbed the Quaffle from the air and tossed it to Davies. Harry performed a loop to avoid a Bludger but kept on going. He approached the ground below and pulled up abruptly. Cedric couldn't react in time and hit the ground. The crowd cringed and groaned but he got back on his broom and took off after Harry – who was now going for the Snitch. The little golden ball had zipped off to follow the Hufflepuff Chasers juggle the Quaffle between them. As Harry approached, his broom lurched and jerked.

"WAH!" Harry held on tightly as the broom tried to shake him off.

"WHAT'S GOING ON WITH POTTER'S BROOM? IT'S OUT OF CONTROL!" Jordan exclaimed. The broom began to buck, but Harry held on relentlessly. At one point, the broom tried to make him fall off by turning over. Harry caught sight of the teacher's booth in the stands and saw Quirrell trying to burn a hole into him with his eyes and Snape muttering like he was about to drop dead. The broom jerked again, and Harry slipped, holding on as he dangled. The game had basically stopped as everyone one watched in fascinated horror.

The cousins as well as Cedric circled below him, hoping to catch him if he fell. Harry spotted Hermione and Alex, and began gesticulating with his legs, hoping they'd notice.

Alex wondered what Harry was doing with his legs, but then she saw that his eyes kept flicking between her and something else. Following the boy's line of sight, she saw Quirrell. With a nod she hurried to take care of it.

Seeing Alex dart off, Harry concentrated his efforts to staying on his broom. He released on hand for a moment, and the jerking halted for a moment. He quickly swung his leg back on, and the bucking started again. He grit his teeth in frustration.

Alex found Quirrell's feet and the robes that brushed the floor of the stands. She pointed her wand at them and muttered a quick spell. The robes caught fire. It took a moment, but Quirrell noticed that his robes were burning and he stood up to stamp them out. Grinning in triumph, Alex watched as Harry took off after the Snitch that had flickered by just as his broom finally stopped. Cedric was quick to follow upon realizing that Harry was no longer in danger.

The pair flew side by side as they got closer and closer to the Snitch. Harry slid forward and reached for the ball. His broom pitched forward and Harry fell. He hit the ground and rolled back to his feet. Everyone stared. He opened his hand and the Snitch sat in his palm.

"H-HARRY POTTER'S GOT THE SNITCH! RAVENCLAW WINS! TWO HUNDRED TO FORTY!" Jordan screamed. The Ravenclaw students in the crowd erupted into cheers. The win had pushed them into first place. The rest of the team rushed onto the field screaming. The cousins lifted Harry onto their shoulders and bounced him up and down. After a while, they put him back down and Cedric Diggory approached them.

"Nice game Potter," he said with a smile. He extended his hand to Harry.

"Yeah," they shook hands for a moment before Harry's friends dragged him off.

"That was brilliant Harry!" Neville was smiling widely. Adam raised his voice above the crowd.

"Party in the Ravenclaw common room! Harry's Gryffindor friends are invited!" the cheering continued.

XxXxXxX

The party lasted well into the night and into the early morning. Finally, Professor Flitwick came down and told them all to go to bed, escorting Neville, Ron, and the Weasley twins back to Gryffindor Tower. Harry fell into bed, a goofy smile on his face. His dorm mates were chatting, unable to sleep. The Weasley twins had somehow managed to sneak into the kitchens and brought back tons of sweets and butterbeer for everyone. None of the Ravenclaws wanted to know how they managed to answer one of the portrait's riddles. Soon, everyone was asleep but Harry and one other boy who just couldn't stop talking.

"Shut it Terry, some of us want to get some sleep before five o'clock," Harry snapped.

"I can't Harry, I ate something the Weasleys gave me, and I've already tried to stop," Terry told him. Harry groaned. He got up and grabbed his wand. "What are you doing Harry? Harry?"

"Silencing charm, I'm exhausted Terry, I'll see in you in the morning," Harry drew the curtains around Terry's bed and cast the charm. The room fell into blissful silence. Harry crawled back into bed and fell asleep.

**Woo!! Man I'm having fun with this. I want to get as much of it done before school starts. Senior year! dies It shall prove to be evil! Anyway, I'm also trying to figure out who the other boys in Ravenclaw are. None of them are even mentioned until OOTP, it's a bit annoying. But the Wikipedia entry on the DA helped since it listed all of the members. So, please review and tell me what you thought of it. Those of you who prefer Git!Ron will not be disappointed, he'll still be a git, don't worry. Oh, and JDF, I really did try out your suggestion, but it involves too much thought. I don't think when I write, I just write and change things once I'm done.**

**Question: Do you think I'm moving the story along too quickly?**


	7. 1:5 :: Was it a Dream?

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 7: Was it a Dream?

The Ravenclaw Quidditch team surrounded Waltmann's bed. Madam Pomfrey was in the process of feeding her. The seventh year's injuries had been bad enough that the Healer had to remove the girl's arm bones and have them grow back.

"Miss Waltmann will not be playing Quidditch for the rest of the season, I'm afraid," Madam Pomfrey told them. "Taking a Bludger to the ribs nearly took her life."

"Sorry Waltmann," Adam said.

"No problem," Waltmann said, wincing. She turned to Harry. "Potter."

"Yeah?"

"You win us that cup. You hear me?"

"Yeah I hear you. I don't plan on letting you down Waltmann," Harry responded.

"Good," Waltmann finished her meal.

"Now off with you, you have classes don't you?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she cleared up the tray and shooed them away. Wishing Waltmann a get well they all left to get to their classes. Harry heaved a sigh. He was supposed to be the reserve Seeker, not the Seeker. He wasn't expecting to see any games until next year. He cursed whoever put Waltmann out of action.

To take away the girl's final year of Quidditch, her last chance at the cup all dashed because some idiot thought it would be funny to hit her in the ribs. It pissed him off, and made him more motivated to make sure Ravenclaw won.

XxXxXxX

Harry walked in to Potions just before the bell rang and fell into his seat between Alex and Hermione.

"How's Waltmann?" Hermione hissed.

"Out for the rest of the season," he replied just before Snape appeared from his office looking rather sour. He stood at the front of the class and tapped his wand to the chalk board. The ingredients to a potion wrote itself on the chalk board in a spidery scrawl.

"Get started and no talking!" he snapped while the students scrambled to get to work.

The class worked silently until the bell rang and they hurried to turn in a vial of the potion and pack up.

Harry and his friends made their way up to their next class.

XxXxXxX

At lunch, Alex leaned over to speak to Harry.

"I saw Quirrell trying to jinx your broom at the match Harry, what do you think that's about?" she asked.

"Quirrell? I saw Snape too," Harry said. "Both of them were making complete eye contact with me and weren't blinking." He went on.

"But Harry, Snape hasn't shown any open hostility towards you, he might have been using a counter-jinx," Hermione suggested.

"What about Quirrell then? Was he the one trying to kill you?" Alex looked at Harry.

"Really Alex, Quirrell is too much of a coward to do something like that," said Hermione.

"Expect the unexpected, Hermione," Harry said. They gave him an odd look. "Look, Quirrell may be a wimp, but doesn't he seem to be too much of one. Come on, how does someone who teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts act like he's afraid of his own shadow. I'm just saying, there's more to this than we realize. Snape might have been protecting me, for all we know."

"What makes you say that? He doesn't seem to like your father very much," Alex muttered.

"That may be so, but he doesn't seem to hate my mother. When he mentioned them on Halloween, he got this look while talking about Mum. I can't explain it, but maybe it's because of her that he doesn't down right hate me. Besides, one can never judge a person by who there parents are. Mrs. Weasley was very nice to me; Ron was a git for two month."

Hermione knitted her eyebrow in thought.

"I think it might have something to do with that cerberus in the third floor corridor. I noticed that Snape was also limping on Halloween, and I could smell blood on him, he must have been bitten by it."

"You could smell the blood?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah? One doesn't forget it when you've practically bathed in it," Harry muttered. Alex gave him a look, but said nothing.

"But the big question is, what's the cerberus guarding?" Hermione asked. The other two shrugged.

XxXxXxX

The holidays were fast approaching and Harry had been quick to sign up to stay at Hogwarts. The rest of his friends were all going home to visit family.

The Great Hall was decorated extensively in honor of the approaching holidays. A dozen large fir trees had been decorated by Professor Flitwick, garlands of holly hung from the entranceway, and snow drifted from the enchanted ceiling. The ghosts moved through the halls singing carols, and everyone – with the exception of Snape – was in a good mood.

The day that the students were leaving he accompanied his friends to Hogsmeade to see them off at the platform. Harry walked back up to the castle and was surprised to see Ron and the twins having a snowball fight outside the front steps. Approaching Ron, he spoke.

"I thought you and your brothers were going home?" he asked.

"Oh, there was a change of plan; my parents and Ginny are visiting my older brother Charlie in Romania. He studies dragons there," Ron answered. "You decided not to go back to the Muggles?"

"No, Jon's in America for the holidays this year, his sister just got married, and his mother pestered him to stay until New Year's," Harry replied. "Besides, I never got anything for Christmas from the Dursleys anyway."

"Anyone left in Ravenclaw Tower?" George asked.

"No, everyone went home but me," Harry answered.

"Hey, maybe you can stay in Gryffindor Tower with us. Ron would be so bored with just us, not that we're boring, right Gred?" George looked to his twin.

"Oh, we could never be boring. To even think of such a thing is blasphemous dear Forge," Fred threw an arm over his twin's shoulders and pretended to swoon.

"Would I even be allowed into Gryffindor Tower?"

"Well, it's not strictly against the rules, but no one's ever really said it was okay. Only the Slytherins are uptight about it," Ron told Harry.

"What about Percy?" Harry asked.

"Oh, right. What should we do? We don't want to get you in trouble," Ron thought for a moment.

"You know what, I'll stay in Ravenclaw Tower, I don't mind being on my own for a bit, it'll be refreshing after having so many people staring at me every day," Harry said before running off.

"Where are you going?" Ron called after him.

"I just remembered that I forgot to mail something!" Harry answered. He hoped one of the owls would be willing to make the journey across the ocean and over the United States to California. He wasn't sure where in California Jon lived, but Jon had mentioned that it wasn't too far from Los Angeles.

He watched as the owl he'd chosen disappeared into the distance, a package tied securely to its feet. Hopefully, none of Jon's relatives became alarmed at the sight of an owl delivering mail to the man.

XxXxXxX

Harry sat alone in the Ravenclaw common room reading a book. It was a book Hermione had checked out from the library the second week of term. The book was huge and letting it rest on his lap was making his feet tingle from the lack of blood flow. After a while, he was about to shut the book when something caught his attention. He read on:

_The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal._

_There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)._

Harry shrugged before closing the book, and set it down on the table. Deciding to head up to bed for the night, and think about it later. As he climbed the steps to the boy's dormitory, a thought entered his mind. It was a memory of his first visit to Gringotts. He recalled the little grubby package Hagrid had taken from that one vault.

'I wonder if that's what's the cerberus is protecting. I should ask Hagrid tomorrow.' Harry decided as he got ready for bed.

XxXxXxX

Harry hurried across the lawn, the heavy cloak he wore, billowing in a very Snape-like manner. Reaching Hagrid's front door, he knocked loudly and he could hear Fang howling.

The door opened and Hagrid smiled upon seeing Harry.

"Come in 'Arry, I jus' put on a fresh pot o' tea," the large man moved aside to let Harry enter. Fang pounced on him immediately, licking his face and ears. Harry pushed the large dog off and sat down at the table. Hagrid served him some tea.

"Thank you Hagrid," Harry took a drink, feeling the hot liquid warm his body. He hadn't really given a great deal of thought into how he was going to ask Hagrid about the third floor corridor, and felt that a direct approach to it would be best. Setting the cup of tea back onto the table, Harry took a deep breath and spoke. "Hagrid? What do you know about the cerberus on the third floor corridor?" He knew immediately that Hagrid knew what he was talking about. Hagrid nearly inhaled his cup and sputtered in response.

"'Ow did you know abou' Fluffy?" he demanded.

"Fluffy? That thing has a name?"

"O' course 'e does, he's mine. Lent him to Dumbledore to guard the – uh – the…" Hagrid left the sentence hanging. "Never mind tha' 'Arry, how have ya been?" Hagrid asked in a painfully obvious attempt at changing the subject.

"But, what if someone tried to steal whatever it is that Fluffy's guarding?"

"Nonsense, who would try to do that?"

"I don't know, but Professor Snape was limping and bleeding on Halloween. I think he was bitten by Fluffy, plus either he or Professor Quirrell is trying to kill me," Harry said.

"Drop it 'Arry, you're meddlin' in things ya know nothin' abou'. What Fluffy's guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel," Hagrid said. A look of surprise shined in his black eyes when he realized what he'd said. Harry was grinning.

"Thanks Hagrid! That's all I needed to know!" Harry was up and gone before Hagrid could say anything more.

Harry ran straight up to Ravenclaw Tower and drafted two identical letters to Hermione and Alex, and a third to Neville, explaining everything to the boy. He hurried up to the owlery to send the letters off.

Harry couldn't believe it, that little brown paper package Hagrid had taken from Gringotts was something as important as the Sorcerer's Stone. Not only that, but Dumbledore honestly expected it to remain safe and secret in a school filled with children, and Harry knew that children were naturally curious about just about everything. It was a bad combination, not to mention dodgy teachers just made the matter worse. Harry shook his head, wondering if the headmaster was even sane.

XxXxXxX

Christmas morning dawned brightly and he was awoken by the Weasley twins. The twins had grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him from the warm comfort of his bed.

"What the hell? Have you no decency?" Harry demanded when he hit the ground with a thump. The twins grinned.

"Of course we have decency," Fred began.

"But we see no point in putting it to use," George finished. Harry shook his head.

"Bloody unbelievable," Harry muttered Mikan curled about George's ankles begging to be picked up. George complied and scratched her behind the ears. "How'd you get in here anyway?"

"The doorknocker is nice to us, gives us really easy riddles…"

"Even if they are pretty hard on their own."

"Quit doing that?" Harry snapped while he pulled something on over his pajama top.

"Doing what?" they asked innocently.

"Finishing each other's sentences, it's annoying," Harry said.

"We can't…"

"It's in our nature," George threw an arm around his brother's shoulders grinning, and Fred did the same. Mikan hopped from the red haired boy's arms and mewed loudly, pawing at the brightly wrapped box at the foot of Harry's bed.

"Wait, where'd those come from?" he asked when he spotted the pile of gifts.

"Did you really think no one would send you presents?" Fred said. Harry flushed. Jon and Dr. Thomas were the only two people who ever gave him anything for any reason. "Well, go on, open your presents." Harry plopped down on the floor and picked up one. It was wrapped very neatly, and a small tag was tied to the boy. Looking at the tag, he saw that it was from Hermione. Ripping off the colorful paper he was greeted by a book. He chuckled.

"Typical Hermione," he murmured. It was a book on spells geared towards offence. The little tag mentioned that he might find that it'll come in handy one day. Setting the book aside, he grabbed the next gift from Jon. Unwrapping the box and opening the lid, he was greeted by the shining steel of a wakizashi.  
"Wicked!" the twins stared at it.

"Gee Jon; are you trying to turn me into some sort of warrior?" Harry asked. He carefully lifted the blade up to examine it properly. He could tell that Jon had put a lot of effort into having it made. Gently running a finger down the side of the blade, it seemed to hum at his touch. Looking into the box, he spotted the sheath and slid the wakizashi into it.

"Hey Harry, can we take a look?" George asked him. Harry nodded and handed it to him.

"Careful, we don't want you to lose a finger," Harry warned as he dug out a note that had been sitting at the bottom of the box.

_Arashi,_

_First off, Merry Christmas. You never told me what you wanted, so I just sent you your first real blade. Don't let anyone touch it when you're not paying attention. I sent you something else too. I had it custom made at a weapon's shop here in California. Most people buy these things just to look at; the guy was surprised when I told him that it was going to be for practical use. Anyway, take a look at the collar, you'll find a little surprise on it. Be careful, and have a fun Christmas with your friends!_

_Sensei_

"What's this say?" Fred asked pointing to the collar. Harry looked at it, and was about to answer when he realized he'd missed something. He took the wakizashi from Fred and looked at it carefully.

"It means 'storm'," answered Harry with a smile. George handed the blade back to Harry, who quickly stowed it away into his trunk.

The dark haired boy turned back to the rest of his gifts. He received a box of prank supplies from the twins, they were grinning when he opened it up. There was a sweater from Mrs. Weasley done in blue, a large 'H' printed on the front in bronze. It also came with a box of fudge.

"Looks like Mum does a better job if you're not family," the twins muttered, looking at their own blue sweaters, each with an 'F' and 'G' on them.

A simple envelope sat alone on the floor. Harry recognized it to be of Muggle design. Opening it up, it was a short note from the Dursleys with a fifty-pence note taped to it. Harry shrugged; he'd had worse from them. He handed the bill to the twins.

"You can have that. My cousin will just steal it from me if I hold on to it," he explained.

"Thanks Harry, I bet Dad would love this. He's really into Muggle stuff. I bet he wouldn't mind having some Muggle money."

Harry received a large box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and a book on famous martial arts masters from Alex. Neville had sent him a framed photograph that featured four people on it. The letter it came with explained that their parents had been friends, and the round faced boy had pointed out his own parents as well as Harry's. Neville had found in the attic the summer before and had asked his gran about it. He noted that both women were visibly pregnant in the photograph.

"Is that your mum, Harry?" George asked.

"Yeah, that's her," Harry said. Lily Potter was smiling and waving, her other hand resting on her stomach. His father had one arm around her waist, the other also waving. The Longbottoms were waving and smiling.

"She's quite a looker, even with a huge stomach like that," Fred said. Harry elbowed him.

"I'll have to make sure I thank Neville. This is the first picture I've seen of my parents," Harry was smiling. Harry placed the frame gently on his bedside table and went back to opening the rest of his presents.

He found a book on more advance kendo techniques near the bottom of the pile. This must have been what Jon had meant about something else. Finally, there was only one package left for him to open. He read the note first. It was written on parchment, which meant it was from a wizard, and written in loopy writing was a short note: Your father left his in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.

His curiosity peaked; Harry ripped off the paper and revealed something made of a smooth, almost water like cloth. Standing up, he let it fall open.

"Whoa!" the twins were staring wide eyed and awed. "H-Harry! That's an invisibility cloak!" they cried.

"A what?"

"Just put it on and you'll see," Fred snapped irritably. Harry swept the cloak around his shoulders.

"Wicked," the twins were really grinning now.

"What?"

"Look down," George told him. Harry looked down and gasped.

"M-my body's gone!" he cried in shock, turning around to see if he could see his toes at least. Deciding that it was just a bit creepy to be a floating head, he let the cloak fall to the ground.

"Who sent it to you?" the twins were looking excited and had mischievous glints in their eyes.

"There wasn't a name," Harry handed the square of parchment to them. "It just said to 'use it well'." Harry looked thoughtful at this.

Once he opened the last present (a box of Chocolate Frogs from Ron), he and the twins left Ravenclaw Tower after Harry was dressed properly. Ron was pacing outside the door looking irritable.

"What took so long?!" he demanded angrily.

"We had to wake up Harry, considering its Christmas, he didn't want to get up," Fred answered. "Couldn't you figure out the riddle the knocker gave you?" Ron blushed in answer. The four boys walked back to Gryffindor Tower. Harry stared at the Gryffindor common room. It was all done up in scarlets and golds, and there was a roaring fire in the fireplace. Percy Weasley sat in the chair nearest the fire, reading a book.

They four younger boys spent the rest of the day playing wizard's chess. The twins did their best to help Harry, but Ron's skill as a tactician was scary. Jon had taught Harry the basics of the game, but the man preferred checkers and _shougi_ to chess.

On the fifth game, Harry had come close, but failed to notice Ron's queen. She'd brutally knocked Harry's final chessman over the head and dragged him off the board.

"So close Harry, better luck next time," Fred clapped him on the shoulder.

It was soon time for the Christmas dinner, and they trudged down to the Great Hall. Once the meal started, Harry couldn't remember having such a great Christmas dinner in his life. Everything smelled delicious, and tasted just as good. His plate was piled high with turkey, and a couple baked potatoes.

But the most entertaining part was the wizard crackers. When he pulled one with Fred, the explosion was fantastic and several white mice scurried off, and once the smoke cleared, it was an admiral's hat, which Fred shoved onto Harry's head.

Once the main course was complete, the turkeys were replaced by Christmas puddings, which were just as good as everything else. He laughed alone with the twins when Percy nearly broke a couple teeth on a sickle he'd found in his pudding.

Harry walked back up to Ravenclaw Tower with his arms laden with the things he'd gotten from the crackers, one of which included his own chess set. The white mice were no where in sight and he had a feeling that many of them would end up being dinner for Mrs. Norris and Mikan, as the little cat somehow managed to get out of the tower on occasion.

After leaving his things on his bed, Harry joined the Weasleys in a snowball fight outside. The twins were impressed with his aim and were amazed by the fact that he knocked Ron to the ground with a snowball to the face. Ron hadn't been too happy, but had instigated a wrestling match, with Harry beating him spectacularly.

XxXxXxX

Harry was lying awake despite the fact that he was rather sleepy. The invisibility cloak was sitting in the back of his mind, preventing him from sleeping. Sitting up finally, he opened up the third compartment of his trunk to take out the cloak. Feeling it run through his fingers, he couldn't help but wonder, who would send this to him?

It had been his father's, and in extension, his, as his father no longer lived. But who would give him something clearly so valuable. Perhaps whoever had given it to him just wanted to return it. But the last sentence on the note suggested otherwise. _Use it well_. That was just asking him to sneak around the school with it. To be irresponsible, that was what the note meant. Go out, break the rules, avoid getting in trouble and laugh about it later. Shaking his head, Harry put it back in his trunk and curled up on his bed to sleep.

XxXxXxX

After two nights of restlessness, Harry gave in and snuck out of Ravenclaw Tower, the cloak draped over his body. He wandered the hallways quickly and silently. Harry frowned; doing this wasn't quite as fun as he had hoped. There was no thrill, he was just walking around, the only difference being that it was way past curfew and there was no one around. Pausing to figure out where he was, Harry stiffened when a pair of lamp like eyes appeared around the corner.

Mrs. Norris was right there!

Like nearly every cat in the world, she hated him. Harry took a hasty step back and crashed into a suit of armor. Cursing, he got back on his feet and realized that the cat was gone. Harry ran for it, not paying attention to where he was going. He came to a halt and froze again when he heard Filch speak.

"You asked me to come directly to you if anyone was wandering around at night, and someone's been by the library," Filch said. Harry held his breath, hoping whoever Filch was talking to wouldn't hear him breathing.

"The library? Then they can't be too far then," it was Snape. Harry looked for an escape route as the two men were coming his way. Spotting a door standing ajar, Harry squeezed through it and waited until they were gone. Once he was sure, the released his breath and decided to head back to the tower. Harry was about to leave when he got the distinct feeling that he wasn't alone in the room. Turning around he realized that he was inside an unused classroom; all the desks and chairs were pushed up against the walls.

But that wasn't the only thing in the room. Propped up against the wall he faced was a tall ornate mirror. It stood nearly to the ceiling, and the frame was golden. There was also something inscribed alone the top.

_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_.

Harry stared at it a moment before realizing that the inscription was written backwards. He stepped towards the mirror, forgetting that he wouldn't be able to see his reflection in the glass. What he did see nearly made him scream. He held his hands over his mouth to prevent any sound from escaping. He whipped his head around, but no one was behind him.

What he was seeing in the mirror was himself, but there were several other people standing behind him. About ten others. But it was the two directly behind him that held his attention the most.

"M-Mum? Dad?" both adults smiled and nodded. It was the red hair and bright green eyes that told him who she was. And his father looked very much like him, just with glasses and brown eyes. He stepped forward, hoping that maybe he could get closer to them.

Harry turned his attention to the rest of the people, a man behind his mother shared her green eyes, and the woman next to him had the same dark red hair. They must have been his grandparents. The others he supposed were his father's family, for they all shared characteristics in common. The most obvious would be the hair color and its general untidiness.

For the first time in his life, he was looking upon his entire family. Well not entire, the Dursleys were not there, but the people he'd never meet, the ones he never would meet.

Harry continued to stare, and they all just smiled and waved to him, but his mother had moved to place her hand on his reflection's shoulder. It was then that he saw that he wore no shirt, and the scars that littered his arm and chest were gone. His reflection was _normal_, human, not a single bit of Lycanthropy in it.

He felt this strange sort of wrenching in his chest, as if he was unsure of what he was supposed to feel. He felt so happy, he could see his family, but saddened that he'd never get to speak to them. He could feel the temperature in the room changing, and Harry knew he'd stayed too long.

"Good-bye," he whispered before hurrying off.

XxXxXxX

Harry didn't leave Ravenclaw Tower all day, unsure of what to do. He wanted to go back, to see his family again, but he also didn't want to. It hurt too much to see the faces of those he never knew, but it made him so happy at the same time.

"What should I do Mikan? I can't go back, but I really want to?" he asked the cat as he scratched her back. Mikan gave no answer, too lost in her purring. He was sprawled on the floor of the common room.

The answer came to him when he looked into the mirror in the bathroom as he scrubbed his hands clean. His eyes were amber again, leaving the bathroom, he checked the calendar pinned to the wall above his bed he gaped at the little round circle beneath the date. He could not go back tonight. He'd be spending it locked inside the infirmary, trashing self-repairing furniture.

XxXxXxX

Severus Snape wasn't a man that had fun. His life had not given him the luxury of fun. Not during his childhood, or his time at school, nor afterwards. He did not enjoy holidays, not really anyway, everyone was so happy, and he hated it. The only good part about it was that he didn't have to be around so many snot-nosed brats. But tonight he would have to deal with one snot-nosed brat, who wasn't all that much of a brat.

Harry Potter most definitely was not what he'd expected of James Potter's son. The boy was respectful of authority, something James Potter most definitely was not. Harry was smart, and was serious about his studies. He knew that that quality clearly came from Lily, as did the boy's general kindness and patience. Even if Harry Potter had James Potter's appearance, he had Lily's personality, and with it, Severus was sure, came her temper.

Lily had been skilled with charms of all sorts. It don't matter what it was, she knew how to do it, and her son showed just as much skill from what he'd heard from Filius. But the boy did well in transfiguration too. But then again, he did well in all of his classes, somehow, even in History of Magic even if he supposedly slept through most of it.

A knock on the door alerted Severus to Harry's arrival.

"Enter," he barked. Harry opened the door and stepped into Snape's office. Severus motioned for Harry to take the goblet from the desk and drink it already. Harry did so and set it down. Once the Potions Master was satisfied, he took Harry all the way up to the infirmary.

Severus couldn't help but wonder, how exactly did the boy become a werewolf? Didn't Albus clearly state that there were protective wards around his relatives' house? Severus could not help his curiosity any longer.

"Potter, how did you end up being bitten by a werewolf?" he asked.

"I was attacked on my way home one night."

"What were you doing out so late?"

"I spend the afternoons after school at the library, it was already winter, so it was quite dark when I was halfway home," Harry replied. Snape nodded and left the boy at the doors of the infirmary. Harry stepped inside and Madam Pomfrey was already waiting, the door to his room open. Harry nodded to her and entered.

XxXxXxX

Madam Pomfrey allowed Harry to spend the day in Ravenclaw Tower, recuperating there. He didn't mind since no one was around to ask him awkward questions. Harry had made up his mind to go looking for the mirror again. He had a feeling that this would be his last chance, and he wanted to see them one last time.

Harry found the empty classroom easily enough, and as soon as he reached the room, he dropped his invisibility cloak and sat down before the mirror. After maybe an hour, he couldn't be sure; a voice startled him to his feet.

"Back again Harry?" Harry jumped up and turned to see Dumbledore perched on one of the desks.

"I didn't see you there Headmaster," Harry said politely.

"It is quite all right Harry," Dumbledore said. Harry was glad the man was smiling, at least it mean he wasn't in a great deal of trouble. Dumbledore slid off the table and straightened his robes. "It would seem that you, like many others, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I didn't know what it was called sir," Harry said.

"But, I suspect that you know what it does?"

"Well, it shows what one greatly desires, that's what it says," Harry said, indicating the inscription.

"Yes, that's correct" Dumbledore was still smiling, and his eyes twinkled merrily in the darkness. "It shows us nothing more than our hearts greatest desire."

"Is that why I see my family?"

"Yes, you have never known them, and that is who you see. Those that passed on before your time," Dumbledore said. Harry felt like a little balloon had been popped inside of him. Did that mean that the Dursleys really were his only remaining family? Then he realized what Dumbledore had said.

"How did you know?"

"I do not need an invisibility cloak to become invisible Harry," was the answer. "However, I ask that you do not come looking for the Mirror again, it shall be moved tomorrow. Also, many men have wasted away before it, not knowing if what they see is real, or if it can ever be achieved. It does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry." Dumbledore told him gravely. "Now then, why don't you go off to bed, you had a long night last night, and you'd best regain your strength. Harry nodded and picked up the cloak.

"Sir? Professor Dumbledore, if you don't mind my asking, what do you see when you look in the mirror?" Harry asked.

"I see myself holding a pair of woolen socks," Dumbledore replied. Harry stared at him. "Off to bed then Harry, good night."

Harry pulled the cloak on and headed back to the tower. Harry didn't realize that Dumbledore may have been lying when answering the question, but then again, it was a rather personal one.

XxXxXxX

The holidays ended, the school was filled with students once more. His friends were back, and were thanking him for the gifts he'd received, and Harry thanked them in return. Neville had smiled when Harry told him that the photograph he'd gotten was the first time he'd ever seen his parents.

He then told them about his time at Hogwarts, and about the invisibility cloak and the Mirror. Hermione was torn between awestruck and upset that Harry would willingly wander the school at night. She was also impressed that Harry had already figured out what it was that Fluffy was guarding.

"But, who's trying to steal it?" Alex had asked. That question still had no answer. If they'd bothered to tell Ron, he would have automatically assumed it was Snape, but the others knew better than to make assumptions.

With that part of the mystery solved, they went back to classes, and Quidditch practice started again. Their next match was against Slytherin, and Adam was working them all to the bone, because if they won, they'd retain their standing at first place.

The cousins had grown annoyed with Adam's yelling, and had started knocking into him whenever they could.

"Quit it you two! Snape's refereeing this game, he'll be looking for anything to keep us from winning," Adam snapped irritably. Harry nearly lost his balance on his broom.

"Snape!" he was gaping like a fish.

"Does Snape even know how to referee a match?" Davies asked.

"Apparently he does, otherwise he wouldn't have volunteered to do it in Madam Hooch's place."

"There's no way he's going to be fair. He'll do anything to make sure Slytherin takes the lead," Cho cried.

"There isn't much we can do," Adam grumbled. "Back to practice people!" He yelled and they all groaned.

XxXxXxX

Harry met up with Hermione by the library, and they made their way up to the common room.

"I can't believe Snape is going to be the referee, what if it turns out that he's the one that wants to kill you?"

"I don't know Hermione, we'll figure something out," Harry said.

"You could pretend to break your leg," she offered.

"I can't, I'm the reserve Seeker, there's no one else to play in my place," Harry told her. They reached a landing at the same time Neville did coming down. He stopped short and toppled over. Harry caught him, and helped Neville stand properly. "What happened to you?"

"Malfoy, I ran into him by the Charms room. He'd been looking for someone to practice on," Neville said as Hermione performed the countercurse.

"Why don't you report him Neville, tell Professor McGonagall," Hermione said urgently. Neville shook his head.

"I don't want any more trouble," he mumbled.

"Come on Neville, the hat put you in Gryffindor, which means you're can be brave. Stand up to him. He's spent his whole life being treated like a prince and being able to walk all over people. You need to show him, that there are people who won't stand for it." Harry said. "You're twelve times the man Malfoy is, and you know it."

"I should have been in Hufflepuff," Neville grumbled. Harry sighed.

"Look Neville, we all make our own strength. You can be brave; the hat wouldn't have put you in Gryffindor if you weren't. You've got the potential; you just have to let it out."

Neville looked to be much more cheered up now.

"Thanks Harry, I'll keep that in mind," Neville said. He waved to them before leaving to head up to Gryffindor Tower. Harry noticed that Hermione was staring at him.

"What?"

"That was very wise Harry," she said.

"Well, Jon said the same thing when I told him about how my cousin used to bully me," Harry felt a little embarrassed now.

XxXxXxX

The match drew nearer and nearer, and to Harry, it seemed as if Snape was following him. It was a little creepy, but he just played it off as his imagination and a little bit of paranoia.

The whole school was buzzing; the match would be an exciting one. No one had ever pulled ahead of Slytherin in seven years, which had been nearly the amount of time it had been since the great Charlie Weasley was a part of Gryffindor's team. The fact that Ravenclaw of all teams had done it, and kept the lead until now was unimaginable.

Harry pulled on his Quidditch robes as Adam tried to give a pep talk to the rest of the team, but wasn't faring too well. They were all too nervous to pay attention.

Meanwhile, Hermione and Alex joined Neville and Ron in the stands. Ron couldn't figure out why all three of them were armed with their wands.

The Slytherin team appeared at one end of the pitch, a line of emerald green robes. The Ravenclaws a moment after from the opposite end. Harry was easily identifiable as he was the shortest boy on the team.

Harry took a deep breath as Snape made his way out onto the grass, the crate of balls under one arm, broom in the other. The man didn't look too happy, and Hermione quickly saw the reason. Albus Dumbledore was sitting in the stands beside McGonagall.

"Blimey! It's Dumbledore!" she gasped.

"What?" Alex quickly spotted the aging man. She shared a smile with her female companion. Harry would be safe, as long as Dumbledore was present, no one would try anything.

A shrill whistle cut through the air and the match began.


	8. 1:6 :: The Mission

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 8: The Mission

The Slytherins and Ravenclaws took to the air, Harry hovering above everyone else. The Slytherin Seeker was actively circling rather than remaining stationary.

Hermione and the others watched Harry and Snape rather than the actual match nervously. Ron was oblivious to their apprehension, but did notice when he was jabbed rather hard in the back of the head.

"Hey!" he turned to see Malfoy standing behind him.

"Out of my way," the blonde ordered.

"Sod off Malfoy," Ron snapped.

"Would anyone like to make bets on how long Potter will stay on his broom? How about you Weasley? You could certainly use the money," Ron's ears went pink.

Snape awarded Slytherin a penalty for no reason.

Alex grit her teeth in annoyance. She really wanted to try the Leg-Locker jinx on Snape, but knew that she could only do that if the man actually tried to hurt Harry.

"Would you like to try Longbottom? But then again, you're too stupid to even know what a bet is," Malfoy sneered. He was so busy gloating, that he didn't even notice Neville's fist until it collided with his jaw.

"Go Neville! You show him!" Ron cheered.

"Show him Nev!" Alex joined in, tearing her eyes from the match. Meanwhile Hermione had jumped up onto her seat.

Harry had spotted the Snitch.

"I'm worth twelve of you Malfoy," Neville said, jumping onto the other boy, his fists swinging. Ron soon decided that he wanted in, and braved Crabbe and Goyle.

Meanwhile, Hermione and Alex were jumping up and down, Harry had caught the Snitch and Ravenclaw kept the lead.

"Ron! Neville! Harry did it! Ravenclaw's in the lead!" Hermione hugged Padma Patil, who was seated in front of her. Neville appeared from beneath Hermione's seat, sporting a black eye and a bloody nose.

"You showed him good Nev, Harry'd be proud of you," Alex said. Neville was looking rather pleased with himself despite the blood on his face.

XxXxXxX

Harry was the last to leave the locker room. Ravenclaw intended on partying all night long, after all, it'd been seven years since Slytherin tasted defeat.

Harry finished changing, and with his Nimbus slung over one shoulder, he left the locker room. Neville had gone up to Madam Pomfrey to have his eyes and nose fixed up, and took an unconscious Ron with him. Alex and Hermione awaited him, and they all headed up to the castle.

As they approached, Harry spotted someone slinking across the grass quickly. Whoever it was had a hood pulled up to hide their face, and they looked to be in a hurry.

"Should we follow him?" Alex asked.

"And risk getting caught?" Hermione replied.

"But what if it's Snape or something off to do shady business?"

"What did I tell you about jumping to conclusions Alex? You're getting to be as bad as Ron," Harry snapped. "Let's just get back to the common room already." With Hermione's help, he managed to drag Alex all the way up to Ravenclaw Tower.

In the midst of all the festivities, Harry felt a strong urge to sneak out with the Invisibility cloak and find out who that cloaked person was, but he ignored it. It would be detrimental to his health to start having Gryffindor tendencies.

Harry ate tons of sweets and drank several bottles of butterbeer while Hermione tried to keep Alex from dancing on a random table due to an intense sugar high. Fifteen minutes later, the short haired brunette was crashed out on the sofa tangled up with Lisa and Mandy who were in similar states.

Hermione and Padma successfully got the three other girls into their dormitory just a few minutes before Professor Flitwick appeared at the doorway of the common room.

"All right, off to bed with all of you," he ordered, but his voice went unheard, but the Andrews cousins lifted the small man onto their shoulders and he was passed around the common room. Finally, after firing off several multi-colored sparks, he got everyone's attention from atop Robert's shoulders. "Get to bed now!" He yelled.

There was much moaning and groaning as everyone climbed the stairs to the dormitories and Harry landed face down on his bed, getting an annoyed hiss from Mikan for his troubles. He nudged the cat over and fell asleep fully dressed and with the curtains wide open.

XxXxXxX

Despite the mystery that was the Sorcerer's stone, Harry had plenty to occupy himself with. Teachers were piling on the homework as spring holidays approached, and with it, the end of year exams.

Hermione had gone insane, drawing up study timetables and color coding them all. Harry refused to follow it, content with just reviewing the material before bed every night. Alex ignored it as well. Despite her intelligence, she was a strong believer in procrastination. Neville had been the only one to agree with Hermione's idea, and followed his study schedule almost religiously.

Neville's competency in Potions was average by now. Snape no longer intimidated him quite as much as he used to, and his marks in Herbology were more than enough to make up for it.

Ron had become an ass again, calling them all nutters for getting such a head start on preparing. He and Hermione had had a heated argument which ended in Ron being kicked out of the library for being too loud by Madam Pince.

Harry had become convinced that the rest of the year would play out normally.

How he hated Murphy's Law.

"Hagrid? What are you doing here?" Alex asked when she noticed the large man squeezed between two shelves.

"Me? Nutin', nutin' at all Alex. No need ter concern yerself with me," Hagrid replied, his eyes shifting from left to right. "What're ye all doin' in 'ere? Not tryin' to find stuff on Flamel are ye?" He asked, eyeing Harry.

"Oh, Harry figured that out way back during Christmas hols," Hermione answered. Hagrid frowned slightly before he fumbled with a book in his hand.

"Well, I'd best be off then," Hagrid announced, stuffing something into one of the pockets of his moleskin coat. Once he'd left the library, Alex shot from her seat and into the section Hagrid had been in. When she returned, she set down a few books.

"He was looking up dragons of all things," she announced.

"Why would he be doing that?" Neville asked.

"He told me when I met him, that he'd always wanted a dragon," Harry muttered absently. He suddenly dropped his pen, smearing ink over his notebook. "We have to go see him, now." Harry quickly packed up his things, the others following suit.

The four returned their things to their dormitories and ran across the wet lawn to Hagrid's hut.

"What's wrong Harry?" Neville asked.

"When I met Hagrid, he told me that the one thing he wanted most in the world was a dragon. And today he was in the library, looking up books about dragons. One of the books Alex showed us was called _From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide_. That right there tells us what's going on. He's somehow gotten his hands on a dragon egg."

"Is he mad? He lives in a _wooden house_ for Merlin's sake!" Alex huffed.

"It's Hagrid Alex, he named a cerberus Fluffy! It wouldn't be too surprising for him to want something as dangerous as a dragon," Hermione said.

As they approached the hut, they noticed that all of the curtains were drawn. Harry knocked on the door and Fang's loud barks reached their ears. The door opened a crack, and when Hagrid saw them, he let them in quickly.

"Hagrid, where did you get that dragon egg?" Harry asked.

"I won it, a fella down at the Hog's Head gave it ter me after a game o' cards. Seemed ta be glad ter be rid o' it actually," Hagrid replied.

"You do realize that you live in a wooden house, right Hagrid?" Hermione asked.

"I's all right 'Ermione. I've got all the information I need right 'ere in this here book," he showed them the book he'd taken from the library. "I even know the breed. I got me a Norwegian Ridgeback." Hagrid appeared to be rather proud of himself.

"You can't keep a dragon Hagrid! It'll be bigger than your house before you know it! It'd probably burn it down first, then what will you do? Dragons aren't easy to hide. There's a reason there are reservations for them!" Alex ranted eyes wide.

"But I can't jus' set 'im lose," Hagrid replied weakly.

"We have to think of something!" Neville moaned.

"Wait, Ron told me that his brother Charlie works with dragons in Romania, maybe we can send the dragon there once it's hatched," Harry suggested.

"In case you haven't noticed Harry, Ron's being a little difficult again," Hermione said. Alex snorted.

"That's putting it lightly Hermione."

"I'll talk to him. This is serious, I'm sure he knows not to be a git over something like this. We need his help to contact his brother," Harry said, running a hand through his hair. He frowned when he noticed that it was now long enough to be tied back into a ponytail.

"I's getting' late. Ye best get back up ter the castle now," Hagrid said. They nodded, and after wishing him luck, they hurried back to the castle.

XxXxXxX

After a few days, they received a letter from Charlie Weasley. He was sending along a few friends to pick up the dragon in five days, regardless of whether or not it was hatched.

Hagrid had actually burst into tears when they told him the news. It was clear that he didn't want to give up on his dragon, but knew that eventually he would have to.

Two days before Charlie's friends were due to arrive Alex's owl delivered a scribbled note to them. It contained only two words, "its hatching." They all knew what Hagrid meant, and waited anxiously for classes to end for the day.

The moment Quirrell dismissed them the trio from Ravenclaw sprinted from the room and met up with Neville and Ron by the Transfiguration classroom.

Hagrid's hut was stifling when they entered. The egg was sitting on the table, rocking and emitting soft clicking sounds. Before their eyes, the egg cracked before the upper half practically exploded, eggshell fragments shattering against the walls.

Nestled in the lower half of the egg remains was the baby dragon. It was far from pretty in Harry's opinion, with wrinkly back skin, knobby horns, and big orange eyes, and its wings spread messily around it. It lifted itself onto its hind legs and flopped over onto the table.

The dragon sneezed and sparks flew from its nostrils. Harry realized that as soon as it could breathe fire, they would all be in trouble.

"He's beautiful," Hagrid cooed, scratching the dragon's neck. "I'll call him Norbert." He announced happily. He smiled and looked around at them, eyes faltering to stare at a spot just above Ron's head.

"Hagrid?" Harry turned his head to see someone fleeing from the window. He looked out the front door and recognized the blond head of hair. It was Malfoy.

XxXxXxX

"I don't know why you're worried so much. This'll all be over tonight. The bloody thing will be gone, and we can go back to worrying about nothing else," Ron said rather loudly. Harry glared at him and his eyes swept the hall they were walking through. He caught the smirking Malfoy turning a corner and he cursed softly.

"Ron! Keep your bloody voice down!" Alex hit him over the head.

"Ow!" Ron glared at her, but she ignored him.

XxXxXxX

That night, Hermione and Harry huddled beneath the Invisibility cloak, standing as close together as they dared to stave off the cold. They were standing outside Hagrid's hut, waiting for Charlie's friend to arrive. Hagrid was inside sniffling and staring at the crate Norbert the dragon was sitting in.

Ron had been bitten by Norbert and was stuck in the Hospital Wing. Neville and Alex were serving detention with Snape when he caught them trying to minx Crabbe and Goyle. Well, he'd caught Alex, but since Neville had done very little to stop the girl, he'd been punished as well.

Movement caught Harry's eye and four brooms descended from the sky, their riders looking like they were wearing magical camouflage. The four brooms halted, and four men slowly came into normal view. Harry pulled off the Invisibility cloak and stepped forward.

They all took turns shaking hands, and Harry and Hermione disappeared into the hut to collect Norbert's crate. Hagrid sniffled and placed a fond hand on the crate.

"I'll miss 'im," he sobbed.

"Don't worry Hagrid, Norbert will be safe where he's going," Hermione said. They carried the crate out and the four men used a harness between their brooms to carry the crate. Each tapped their wands to their heads and once again and blended in with the scenery behind them and took off into the sky. Harry sighed and said a quick good-bye to Hagrid before he and Hermione set off to the castle to get to bed.

XxXxXxX

They were climbing the stairs towards Ravenclaw Tower when McGonagall's voice floated by.

"Detention Malfoy! Out of bed at this hour of the night!" the stern woman said.

"But, Potter's got a dragon with him!" Malfoy protested.

"What rubbish, come along, we will be speaking to your head of house about this," the voices drifted away and Hermione had to stifle giggles.

They made it to the common room, and the moment they did, Hermione danced a little jig, giggling the whole time. Harry smiled; this was the first time he'd seen Hermione act her proper age. She always did her best to be mature.

"Malfoy got detention! Malfoy got detention!" she cheered.

"Okay Hermione, I think that's enough fun and excitement for one night. Let's just get to bed," Harry said. Hermione nodded and stifled a yawn.

"Good night Harry," she muttered before disappearing into the girls' dormitory.

XxXxXxX

The Slytherins couldn't figure out how they were abruptly fifty points further behind Ravenclaw. Not that any of the other houses were complaining, they were quite pleased with it.

The way things were going Ravenclaw would win the House Cup. Even if Hufflepuff and Gryffindor would have preferred it being them, they'd just be glad that Slytherin hadn't won for once.

Life had settled down once again, though Harry knew that it wouldn't stay that way. The Norbert incident had proven it. The thing that bugged him was the fact that although they knew what Fluffy was guarding, did it mean that Fluffy was the only obstacle between the possible thief and the Stone, or had other faculty members contributed to it?

Harry poked at his sausage in thought.

"Harry? Harry, you in there mate?" Alex waved her hand in front of his face. He blinked and looked at her. Hermione was watching him over the top of her Charms textbook.

"What is it Alex?"

"You were staring at your sausage like it killed your cat or something," she told him. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. But something is bugging the hell out of me," said Harry.

"What?"

"Well, we know someone wants the Stone, but, we don't know the first thing about the security surrounding it. I'm getting all wound up about it and I don't know why."

"It's that little bit of you that's a Gryffindor. What else could it possibly be?" Harry frowned and picked up his goblet of pumpkin juice. He breathed in deeply and brought it to his lips before pausing. Furrowing his eyebrows, he took another sniff at his goblet.

"That's odd," he mumbled. "Alex, can I see you pumpkin juice for a second?" Alex pushed it over to him.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, finally putting her book away.

"My juice smells different," Harry answered as he whiffed Alex's. "But Alex's juice smells fine."

"Maybe you've got some bad juice there," Alex suggested. Harry reached across the table and grabbed Hermione's goblet and smelled it as well.

"Smells like Alex's," Harry muttered before handing it back to Hermione.

"Maybe someone's trying to poison you," Hermione said.

"That's bullocks Hermione, why would someone try to poison Harry?" Alex looked at her incredulously.

"Why would someone try to curse his broom?" Hermione replied.

"But I've been drinking it earlier; wouldn't I be feeling the effects by now?"

"Just because its poison doesn't mean it's meant the kill you," Alex told him.

"Yeah, considering that this is the wizarding world, it could be meant to do something else," Hermione added.

"Like what?"

"Loads of stuff. My brother said that if we make it to NEWT potions, we learn to brew potions that can control a person's mind. Or it could be putting some sort of block on your magical core. I hear some of the older more old fashioned schools do that so students can't use magic that's far too advanced and injure themselves or other people," Alex said.

"If that's the case, it could also be putting suggestions into Harry's head. Seeing as he's so worked up about the Stone even if he really isn't all that interested in it," Hermione said.

"Maybe that's it. Maybe someone wants me to go and risk my neck to keep the Stone from being stolen," he said. "Well, we haven't got time for this; we need to get to History of Magic now."

The three Ravenclaws rose and left the Great Hall, never noticing the pair of eyes following them.

XxXxXxX

Harry leaned against a tree trying to catch his breath. He'd come outside in an attempt at clearing his mind and relaxing a bit before the end of year exams started up. He'd run four laps around the lake and ran through his longest and most complex kata before he tired even a little, but his mind was still a mess of thoughts.

He looked up at the sky and saw that it was getting a little dark to stay outside any longer. Picking up his robes, he headed back towards the castle.

Harry was just passing by Hagrid's vegetable garden when movement caught his eye.

A heavily cloaked figure was running across the lawn towards the Forbidden Forest. Harry tried to ignore the compulsion to follow, but it was far too strong and he silently followed the figure.

It slipped into the Forbidden Forest, moving nearly as silently as Harry did, though the cloak dragged along the ground, rustling leaves. Harry caught a shimmer of silver up ahead, and the soft thud of hooves. The figure moved faster now, drawing from the folds of the cloak, a long knife that gleamed silver. Harry shivered involuntarily at the sight of it. He realized that the figure was hunting a unicorn. The majestic creature made little noise as if ran on, its silver blood leaving a trail to easily follow.

The blood smelled so pure and innocent. Such a creature did not deserve the death it was given.

He watched as the unicorn was slaughtered and the hooded one bent to drink from the wound.

'What the hell is this thing?!' he thought. Feeling a wave of nausea from the scent of the blood, he took a step back only to trip and snap several twigs as he hit the ground. 'Oh shit!'

The cloaked figure rose up and _slithered_across the forest floor towards him. It was disturbing to watch, and silver blood glistened from the lips of the figure. Harry groped for his wakizashi as he had it tucked into his belt at his back.

Finally managing to wrap his fingers around the hilt, he drew it and slashed at the figure.

A strip of cloth was cut from the robe, but it continued to advance and him. Harry scrambled backwards, realizing that he didn't have much of an advantage so long as he remained on the ground. As the figure came closer and closer, pain bloomed in his forehead, making his eyes water. He cried out in pain, bringing his free hand up to his forehead. He could feel the slightly raised skin of the scar and grasped that it was his scar that was causing him pain. The pain was paralyzing and his legs would no longer respond. Harry was at the mercy of his thing that continued to stalk towards him.

Harry shut his eyes in fear when the pounding of hooves and a rush of air struck his face.

Opening his eyes, he saw what he at first thought was a man, naked from the waist up. Looking more thoroughly, he saw that it was actually a centaur. The thing that had been about to attack him was gone, and so was the pain in his scar.

"Harry Potter, are you injured?" the centaur asked.

"I'm fine," Harry slowly rose to his feet and slid the blade back into its sheath. "How did you know my name?"

"Many of the creatures of this forest know your name Harry Potter," answered the centaur.

"What's your name?" Harry asked.

"I am Firenze," he answered. Firenze lowered his front legs. "Quickly, you must leave the forest; it is dangerous, even for you." Harry hesitated, knowing that centaurs generally refused to allow a human to ride on their backs. He scrambled onto Firenze's back and held onto his shoulders as they set off through the forest.

"What killed that unicorn?"

"It was a human, a human who is more monster than man. He is forever cursed," Firenze replied.

"What do you mean?"

"To kill a unicorn, something so pure and innocent is to curse oneself forever, but to drink the blood of a unicorn; it is the greatest of sins. The blood of a unicorn can save a man even if he is an inch from death, but from that moment on, he is to live nothing but a half-life."

"Who would choose to live in such a way?"

"Only one who had nothing to lose and everything to gain would kill a unicorn and drink its blood. There is a reason humans only use the horn and tail hairs, those can be given willingly, and blood would never be given willingly."

"Wouldn't it be better to just die than live that?"

"Yes, but the blood of a unicorn can give one life long enough to obtain something that will allow them to have a more permanent life. You know what it is that is hidden within the school and deep down, you know who it is that would want it."

"The Sorcerer's Stone! It produces the Elixir of Life! Then that means-!" Harry's eyes were wide when the realization hit him. "Voldemort!" A cold chill ran through his body at the thought of Voldemort returning to power and immortal.

"That is correct. We centaurs have known for years that he would one day return, it is written in the stars, but not even the stars know when." They came to the edge of the forest, near Hagrid's hut and Firenze allowed Harry to dismount.

"Thank you for saving me Firenze," Harry said, inclining his head in a sort of bow.

"Remember Harry, should that monster return to power, there will be nothing to save the world from him," Firenze turned, and with his tail flicking slightly, he disappeared.

Harry turned back to the castle, and after taking a long deep breath, he ran back up to the castle.

When he reached Ravenclaw Tower, only Hermione and Alex were still in the common room, but both girls were sleeping. Harry shook them awake gently.

"Harry? Where have you been?" Hermione demanded once she was awake.

"Long story," Harry replied as he woke up Alex. The girl sat up stiffly and punched Harry in the gut. He grunted. "Alex, what the bloody hell was that for?" He asked.

"Sorry Harry. It's a reflex," she replied.

"Some reflex," Harry muttered before sitting between them.

"So, where have you been?" Hermione asked again.

"I wandered into the forest," Harry answered.

"Nice going mate. Didn't run into anything that tried to eat you did you?" Alex asked, grinning.

"Honestly Harry, what were you thinking? If you got lost, no one would have found you for ages! What if you got hurt or some manner of animal attacked you?" Hermione was already in full rant mode. Harry silenced her by bringing his hand to her mouth,

"Let me explain properly. And no questions until I'm done," he said. Harry then explained it all, every single detail of what had occurred. By then end, both girls were staring wide-eyed at him.

"S-so you're saying that You-Know-Who is out there in that forest?" Alex stammered. It was the first time either of them had heard her stutter.

"No, not Voldemort," the girls flinched. "Voldemort doesn't have his own body. His body couldn't have survived the rebounded Killing Curse. He might be possessing someone, using them for a vessel until he can get his own body." Harry said.

"But who?" Alex asked.

"From what I can tell, the only people who know about the Sorcerer's Stone being here, other than ourselves, is the staff. It's likely he's sharing a body with one of the teachers. Based on the fact that both Snape and Quirrell are a bit suspicious, it could be either one of them."

"What are we supposed to do with this information?" Hermione asked.

"We could go to Dumbledore," Alex said quickly.

"We're not even supposed to know about the Stone. We'd get in trouble, plus Hagrid since it was him that gave us the clue on Flamel," Harry said, glaring at her mildly.

"Oh right. So what do we do?" she asked. Harry shrugged.

"Maybe whoever is working for Voldemort doesn't get the Stone. Unless it happens, there isn't much we can do. We're three first years up against a fully trained wizard, we'd probably just get ourselves killed," Harry said while yawning. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you two in the morning."

With that said, he headed off to the dormitory.

XxXxXxX

Harry made it through his exams, finding most of them to be relatively easy. Only History of Magic gave him trouble since he ended up having to borrow Hermione's notes to study from, and he kept falling asleep while studying them.

Not that his scar was helping. It kept prickling at the most inopportune moments. The worst was during the practical portion of the Potions exam. He'd nearly dropped in the wrong ingredient when a particularly strong sting made him loose his concentration for a moment.

Harry had narrowed down Voldemort's vessel to being Quirrell, only the stuttering man made Harry's scar throb like a nasty migraine. Though he hadn't mentioned it to any of his friends, they were all more worried about exams, even Ron, who hadn't even want to study like the rest of them did.

When it was finally all said and done, the group of first years ran out of the castle and sat under the shade of a tree beside the lake. The other four were chatting quite happily; meanwhile, Harry continued the trace the shape of his scar, applying pressure whenever it stung with pain.

"Cheer up Harry, we've got a whole week of freedom ahead of us," Ron said.

"It's not that, it's my bloody scar. It keeps acting up. Especially around Quirrell, I barely survived the exam with him without passing out," Harry groaned.

"Why's that?"

"When I was in the forest, the thing that was drinking unicorn blood, my scar hurt back then too, but was even worse because it was much closer to me. I think my scar hurting might be some kind of sign that danger is coming."

"It'll be fine Harry, as long as Dumbledore is around, You-Know-Who would never try anything. Besides, no one knows how to get by Fluffy except for Hagrid," Neville said.

"I guess your right Nev," Harry fell into silence, but he continued to think.

Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore; the man was far too loyal to do that. Harry watched an owl go by as he got lost in his thought. Hagrid was a good man and his heart was in the right place but he did let things slip out every once in a while…

Harry jumped to his feet, startling Ron out his doze.

"Where are you going Harry?" Neville asked.

"We have to talk to Hagrid," he said before setting off towards the large hut in the distance.

"What for?" Hermione asked, panting to keep up with Harry.

"It's a bit odd, isn't it? The one thing Hagrid wants most is a dragon, and a man just happens to have one in his pocket the same night Hagrid's at a pub. Hagrid might have said anything to the man, considering the fact that he'd been drinking doesn't help either," Harry told them. They were running for the hut now.

By the time they reached it, there were out of breath and had to pause for a moment. Hagrid sat outside with Fang shelling peas into a large bowl.

"Hullo, exams over?" he asked them with a smile.

"We're in a bit of a hurry Hagrid," Harry said, cutting off Ron's reply. "That night you won Norbert, the man you were playing cards with, what did he look like?" Harry asked.

"I dunno, he kept his hood up," Hagrid replied. The five children exchanged looks. "It ain't unusual; the Hog's Head gets lots strange folk. He never took his cloak off all night."

Hagrid went on with shelling his peas.

"What did you two talk about? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?" Alex asked, realizing where Harry was going with this.

"Mighta mentioned it, yeah. Can't hardly remember, kept buyin' me drinks," Hagrid paused to try and remember. "He asked me what I did, told 'im I was gamekeeper up 'ere…asked me what sort of creatures I looked after. I told 'im, mentioned that I always wanted a dragon. He 'ad an egg he wanted ter get rid of, we played for it. He asked if I could handle it. Said after Fluffy anything would be easy."

"What he interested in Fluffy?" Hermione asked him.

"Well yeah, not many three-headed dogs in the world after all. Told him, the best way to handle Fluffy was ter keep 'im calm. Just play 'im a bit o' music and he falls right ter sleep-," Hagrid had a strangled look on his face now.

The group looked around, realizing the last of the puzzle.

"I shouldn'ta said tha'," he blurted. "Jus' forget it." Hagrid demanded.

But they were already gone.

They scrambled through the corridors.

"What are we doing Harry?" Ron asked.

"We have to tell Dumbledore!"

"Didn't you say before that if we say something, we'll get Hagrid in trouble?" Alex asked.

"Yeah well, I think preventing Voldemort from getting a new body is a bit more important," Harry said. They came to a halt upon remembering something. Not a single one of them knew where Dumbledore's office was.

"Well, what have we here?" a low voice spoke from behind them. They turned only to see Snape. "Now what would five first years be doing inside on a day like this?" He asked, looking at them.

"Um, well," Hermione decided that she couldn't think of anything to say. Snape looked Harry straight in the eye and was surprised that the boy maintained eye contact.

He blinked and looked away.

"I would suggest you be off somewhere to look a bit less inconspicuous," Snape said before stalking off, billowing robes. They looked at each other before Harry chased after the man.

"Wait, Professor!" he called after him. Snape stopped and turned to face the boy.

"Yes Mr. Potter?"

"W-we were wondering if you knew where Professor Dumbledore is," Harry said.

"The Headmaster was called to the Ministry, he left immediately for London, I'm afraid. Surely what you have to tell him isn't so important," Snape answered before he walked off again. Harry sighed.

"It's going to happen tonight; whoever plans on stealing the Stone is doing it while Dumbledore's gone. They sent the owl I saw earlier," Harry said.

"So what do we do?"

"We wait, and if Dumbledore doesn't come back, we'll go down that trapdoor ourselves. I don't like the idea, but we can't just let Voldemort get a new body," Harry declared.

"Will all five of us fit under the Invisibility cloak?" Neville asked.

"Probably not. At most, only four if we really squeeze together. Someone will have to stay behind," Harry replied.

"Who should stay behind though?" Hermione asked.

"Well, we have no idea what other obstacles there are once we get by Fluffy, but do any of you guys have a musical instrument?" Harry asked.

"I do," Alex answered. "Hagrid gave me a carved flute for Christmas. Mum was ecstatic that I would be able to play again." She said.

"Okay, that means Alex comes."

"I'll stay behind," Neville volunteered. They looked at him. "If any of us stay behind, I think it should be me."

"Are you sure Nev?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I'm positive."

"All right, Ron, Hermione, Alex, and I will head down that trap door. Ron, be waiting in the Gryffindor common room. When you hear three knocks, you'll know it's us," Harry directed. Ron nodded. "For now, we need to just be ready."

**This is my last update before school starts on Thursday. I have no clue as to how long it'll be before I can update again, so consider this a hiatus for the time being. Thank you for reading, and I hope you review and keep on the look out for the next chapter!**


	9. 1:7 :: Warped Reflection

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 9: Warped Reflection

The three Ravenclaws were fortunate; the Fat Lady had left her portrait at some point. Harry knocked three times, and the portrait swung open enough for Ron to slip through. Neville waved to them from behind the redheaded boy.

"Good luck guys," he whispered as Ron slipped beneath the invisibility cloak.

"Thanks Nev," Alex murmured to the boy before the portrait closed and they headed off.

The halls were completely deserted and dark. Dumbledore hadn't made it back from London yet seeing as the man had decided to fly.

They met no one at all, not even Peeves, and by the time they reached the door to the third floor corridor, it was standing slightly ajar.

"He's already been here," Harry whispered as he pulled the cloak from their bodies. Alex already had the flute to her lips and blew into it.

Fluffy had been growling at them, but stopped immediately when Alex began to play. The time it took Fluffy to fall asleep was tense for the three others, listening to Alex play.

Even when she missed a note, Fluffy continued to nod off to sleep. Eventually the cerberus was snoring. Ron and Harry shifted one of the large paws and opened up the trap door.

"I'll go first to find out what's down there," Harry said. Easing himself through the door, he let himself fall. Harry landed with a muffled thump. At least it was a soft landing, but it didn't feel quite right.

It smelled organic, so it was a plant. 'Professor Sprout's bit.' Harry thought. As he thought, something crept up his ankle. Harry reacted quickly, drawing his pocket knife and slashing it. There was a strange screech and the plant he stood up seemed to writhe.

"Hurry up Harry! Alex can't keep playing forever!" Hermione hissed. The plant was once again trying to wrap itself around him and Harry continued to cut himself free. He hopped around so it couldn't grab him so easily.

"Devil's Snare," he whispered as he jumped back against the wall. Drawing his wand from his pocket he pointed it at his feet. _"INCENDIO!"_ Flames sprouted from the tip of his wand and struck the plant. It writhed and thrashed even more under the burning heat.

It wasn't long before the plant was a pile of ash. Above, he could just hear Alex still playing her flute.

"All right, you can jump now," Harry called up. Ron appeared, and landed on the ashes with a thump.

"You said it was okay to jump!" the red head snapped.

"I did, I never said the landing was comfortable," Harry replied as Hermione landed. A moment later, Alex appeared, Fluffy's barking following her down. Once they were all gathered, they made their way across the chamber to a door.

The door stood partly open and they slipped through it quickly.

After a short walk through a hall, they neared another room, this one reaching much farther up than the last one. Harry could hear the fluttering of wings above him. 'Birds?' He sniffed discreetly, but the source of the noise didn't smell natural. Furrowing his eyebrows, he took a step forward and came into the next chamber.

The chamber reached high up; so far Harry couldn't see the top. The fluttering things he noticed glittered in the shafts of moonlight that filtered in through the small narrow windows.

"What are they?" Hermione wondered aloud, her voice showing her curiosity.

"Look, the next door," Ron pointed out. He made his way across the room with his head ducked. Alex followed him, also keeping her head down in case the strange creatures decided to dive bomb them.

Alex reached for the door knob and tried to turn it, but the knob wouldn't turn. Drawing her wand she tapped the keyhole.

_"Alohamora,"_ she muttered. Nothing happened. "Now what?" She asked, turning to Hermione and Harry. Both were still staring at the flying things.

"They're keys," Harry whispered, contemplating. "They're keys. What does the knob look like?" He asked.

"It looks pretty old and rusted, but it's silver," Ron told him, staring at the knob intensely.

"We have to catch the right key," Alex said, indicating the three broomsticks hovering for them. "Obviously, Harry is going to be one the three that try. Who else?" She looked over at Ron and Hermione. Hermione shook her head minutely. "Ron and I will help. Hermione, you wait for one of use to pass you the key." Alex ordered.

They kicked off, hovering into the air, and the random flight of the keys altered. They now flew about the three, blocking their vision and getting in the way.

Harry did his best to ignore it, but it was difficult. Looking about wildly, he caught a glimpse of silver in the sea of bronze. He shot forward, chasing after the sluggishly moving key. One wing was damaged, showing evidence of rough handling. Harry closed in on it, and caught it just before he crashed into the wall.

Ron and Alex cheered as he descended, passing the key to Hermione. She quickly shoved the key into the lock and turned.

The four dove into the next chamber, shutting the door behind them. They heard the lock click loudly and there was complete silence.

"What's next?" Ron grumbled.

"Well, Fluffy was Hagrid's, Professor Sprout no doubt donated that Devil's Snare, and I guess that was what Professor Flitwick did. All that's left is Professor McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell," Hermione said. She squinted into the darkness, but could barely make out the dark shapes ahead of them.

"Come on, standing here isn't going to help us any," said Alex. She stepped forward, the others following.

XxXxXxX

Mikan took each stone step one at a time, halting every once in a while to regain her strength. Being so small had its disadvantages when trying to go down the stairs. Finally, she reached the landing, and bolted around the corner. She met Mrs. Norris, and the older cat regarded her with mild interest. Mikan mewed, and Mrs. Norris flicked her head towards the tapestry on the wall. Mikan meowed again and disappeared behind the tapestry.

XxXxXxX

Severus was making his way down towards the dungeons, having finished his rounds around the halls. He was shocked that he hadn't run into Potter or any of his friends trying to sneak into the third floor corridor. As it was, he was only slightly relieved that he hadn't caught them. Walking down the hall, he paused when his feet brushed against something small and soft.

Looking down, he realized that it Potter's cat. The little thing had a tendency to find its way into the dungeons on several occasions. Severus wasn't fond of pets, but this cat was different from most. He could have sworn that it was far more intelligent than even Filch's cat.

"Hello there," Severus bent and scratched Mikan behind the ears. She purred before moving away from him. Her eyes looked more green than teal tonight, and it reminded him very much of Potter. Suddenly, she fell onto her side, all the while staring at him. Severus arched an eyebrow at her behavior. Mikan righted herself before repeating the action. If he didn't know any better, it looked almost as if she was playing dead.

Potter's cat was playing dead.

Playing dead.

Dead.

It finally clicked and with a curse, Severus bolted down the corridor, robes flying behind him. Mikan rose and chased after the dark man.

XxXxXxX

Harry frowned, it was far too dark to be able to discern anything, and the scents that wafted through the room were new and unfamiliar to him. The sound of their footsteps changed, and the surface they stood upon felt considerably smoother.

"It looks like some sort of graveyard," Hermione murmured. Ron looked around, thinking carefully.

"It isn't a graveyard, it's a chessboard."

Sconces lit up the chamber revealing both sides of the board. Off to the side lay the rubble of past pieces.

"We've probably got to play our way across," Harry said noting the empty spaces on the board. "Ron, tell us what we need to do." He said.

Ron quickly directed them towards their spaces while taking the place of a knight. While waiting, Hermione was struck by a thought.

"Um, you don't think this'll be like real Wizard's Chess do you?" she asked quietly. Ron's nose scrunched in thought watching the white pieces move first. He ordered a pawn to move forward. Said pawn was quickly taken, dust rising up from the rubble it once was.

Hermione's eyes were wide in fear. Harry took a deep breath to calm himself while Alex nervously rocked back and forth on her heels.

The game began.

Several minutes later, Ron watched as Alex was knocked violently off the board.

"Alex!" Hermione shrieked. She made to run towards the other girl, but a hand gripping her arm stopped her.

"Don't move!" Harry ordered, balancing on his toes as he leaned forward, just toeing the edge of the square he stood in. He released her and fell back into place. "Ron! What the bloody hell was that?!" He bellowed. The redhead winced at the anger in Harry's voice, pale green eyes glaring furiously.

"I'm sorry! I-I didn't see it!" Ron stuttered.

From the edge of the board, Alex lay motionless, blood dripping from a cut on her cheek.

The game continued on, Ron's eyes continuously sweeping the board, keeping them out of danger. It was his move now, and he gnawed at his lip before sighing and nodding to himself. It took Harry only a moment to realize Ron's line of thinking.

"No! Ron!"

"It's the only way we can win! At this rate we'll lose and the Stone will be stolen!" Ron snapped back. With a final breath, he made his move.

The white queen moved now, approaching Ron and threw him aside. He hit the ground hard, falling unconscious. Hermione whimpered quietly from her spot.

"Now what?" she asked. Harry didn't answer but stepped forward, standing before the opposing king.

"Checkmate," the single word rang out through the chamber. The king reached up and slammed his crown to the ground before moving aside. A path was cleared for the pair. "Come one Hermione!" He ordered.

"But what about-?" she was cut off.

"We can't worry about that right now. We have to keep moving!" Harry growled, charging forward, Hermione struggling to keep up with his pace.

The next chamber was filled with a foul smell Harry knew too well. Stepping over the arms of the large troll, he was silently glad that this one was already taken care of. The one from Halloween had been enough of a challenge with three of them, with only two, this one would have been impossible.

The door to the next room stood ajar, and they quickly stepped through it. Once Hermione had stepped through the threshold, flames sprouted up from the floor. The one thing that was different about the flames was the fact that they were purple. Across the room, a similar doorway was now hidden behind black flames.

In the center of the room stretched a table laden with seven bottles of various shapes and sizes.

"Obviously, this is Snape's contribution," Harry muttered. They moved closer to the table and Hermione snatched up a rolled up scroll sitting beside the line of bottles. Harry leaned over her to read it:

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose, unless you with to stay here forevermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find someone nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf not giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

Harry blinked; he had never been good with puzzles of any kind, especially these kinds.

"So, do you think you can figure it out?" he asked Hermione.

"Yeah, you can't?"

"If I had several hours to think it over, sure. But given the time constraints, no, I can't," Harry said.

"All right, let's see," Hermione's eyes were glued to the paper as she paced back and forth down the line of bottles.

Several minutes later she grinned.

"All right, this one," she picked one up, "will get us to the Stone." She handed it to Harry. "And this one will take me back."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, noting the small size of the bottle in his hand.

"Positive," Hermione replied. She seemed to hesitate, and then she threw her arms around Harry's neck. "Oh, do be careful Harry." She said.

"I will Hermione," he replied, feeling rather embarrassed, but the hug was rather nice. Hermione finally let go and stared up at him. "When you get through, take one of those brooms from the room with the keys and get to the owlery and sent a message to Dumbledore." He told her.

"I will," Hermione said. Removing the stopper on the bottle in her hand, she took a deep gulp and shivered. "It feels like ice." She said. Harry nodded, and drank his potion.

Cold flooded his body and he shivered violently.

"Get going before it wears off Hermione," he ordered. She nodded and ran through the purple flames. As soon as she was out of sight, Harry ran for the black flames at the other end of the room. The flames did nothing more than tickle his flesh as he passed through them.

XxXxXxX

Harry took slow hesitant steps towards the final room. He flinched when the pain in his scar flared up once more.

He stepped through the entry and spotted a familiar purple turban.

"I figured," he said, causing Quirrell to turn to face him. Some of the pain alleviated. Quirrell smiled coldly at him.

"I should have known you'd show up eventually Potter," Quirrell spat.

"Even I don't know why I bothered. Gryffindor behavior isn't exactly good for my health," Harry chuckled. He spotted the Mirror of Erised behind Quirrell.

"Yes, so it would seem a bit of your parents did end up in you after all. I must say, it was quite a shock when a Potter was placed in Ravenclaw. That hasn't happened in well over two centuries. It makes one wonder, where did you get such intelligence?"

"Being left to my own devices with my Muggle family has had a few advantages," Harry stated.

"Clearly."

Quirrell turned his back on Harry then.

"I can see it. I can see the Stone, and presenting it to my master," he murmured, eyes casting about for something. "But how do I get it?" He wondered.

Harry cautiously approached, his pocket knife gripped tightly in one hand, wand hidden up the sleeve of the other.

"Use the boy," the voice echoed around the room. Harry bristled at the sound, quickly realizing the danger he was in. Quirrell looked at him again and snapped his fingers; Harry dove out of the way when he spotted the ropes coming at him.

Crouching behind a pillar, Harry listened.

"Let me speak to him," the snake-like voice ordered.

"But Master," Quirrell put up a weak protest.

"Do it!" the voice snapped. Harry risked a quick look, only to find Quirrell's back to him. The man was unwinding the turban from around his head.

Harry stared in horror at the pale nose-less face with the glowing red eyes.

"Harry Potter," came the shuddering whisper. Slowly, Harry rose from his crouched position and revealed himself. "So we meet at long last."

Harry couldn't keep his eyes off of the eyes that seemed to look into his very soul.

"Do you see what I have become boy?" Harry did not respond. "A mere parasite to live off the life force of others. Nothing more than shadow and vapor."

"Voldemort," Harry whispered.

"Smart lad," Voldemort's eyes continued to stare deep into his own. "Now, it is time for you to die!"

Quirrell raised his wand, but Harry was already in motion, diving for cover.

"What are you doing fool?! Capture him!"

Harry rolled to the next pillar as the one he'd previously been hiding behind exploded. He dashed for the next one, making his way to the opposite end of the circular chamber.

"Stop running Potter!" Quirrell demanded.

'Like hell I will,' Harry thought. Peeking from behind the pillar, he caught sight of the other side of mirror. As it was double sided, he could see his frightened face looking back at him. Then his reflection winked and held up what he realized was the Stone, then the blood red stone disappeared from sight and he felt a strange weight within his pocket.

Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, he pulled out the Sorcerer's Stone. He quickly shoved it back inside, just as Quirrell dove at him. Harry didn't have enough time to roll away and Quirrell wrapped his fingers around Harry's throat.

Harry screamed as pain raced through his body. His head felt like it was splitting in half and his scar throbbed painfully. Managing to gain some control over his body, he bent his legs and pushed Quirrell away from him.

He gasped for breath as he slowly sat up. Looking over at Quirrell, he watched as the man's hands scabbed over and blistered. Quirrell whimpered in pain.

"SEIZE HIM!" Voldemort shrieked. Quirrell hesitated only a moment, lunging for Harry once more. Harry brought his arms up in defense and gasped when something hot and wet dripped down his hands.

Quirrell's eyes were wide as he gasped for breath. Harry pushed the man off of him and stared as blood poured from the wound in Quirrell's chest where the pocket knife had penetrated.

'Oh Merlin!' Harry scrambled backwards away from the slowly dying man. 'What have I done?'

"QUIRRELL! GET UP AND KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" Voldemort was still shouting commands from the back of Quirrell's head. Quirrell's body twitched as he struggled to rise up once more. The blistered hands once more tightened around Harry's neck.

Harry somehow mustered the energy to ball his hand into a fist and slammed it into Quirrell's face and he heard the crack of the man's jaw. The area where Harry's knuckles had come into contact with Quirrell's face also blistered.

The grip Quirrell maintained on Harry's throat slackened and then, the blistered hands released him. The man's body slumped over, what little light left in his eyes was gone now.

That one punch had sapped Harry of what little energy he had left, and he slowly slipped away into darkness.

A dark figure came to hover over him, and he had the strangest feeling of being lighter than air before the darkness took him fully.

XxXxXxX

Harry's vision swam as he tried to open them. With a groan he turned over and snuggled further into the covers of his bed. Wait, what bed?

He sat up and moaned, clutching his head.

'Okay, bad idea,' he concluded. Once his head was clear enough he slowly looked around to figure out where he was.

The white walls and the smell of sterilization told him that he was in the infirmary, again.

"Good afternoon Harry."

Harry turned to see Dumbledore smiling genially at him.

"Afternoon? How long have I been out?" Harry asked.

"Three days. You suffered a great deal of physical and magical drain from your efforts," Dumbledore replied.

"Wait, what happened to the Stone?" Harry demanded. There was a slightly panicked look in his eyes.

"The Stone is safe Harry, you need not worry," Dumbledore said. Harry nodded, and spotted the nightstand. It was laden with cards and sweets.

"What's all of this?"

"Tokens from your many friends and admirers," Dumbledore smiled. "The events that took place down in the dungeons are strictly between yourself and Professor Quirrell…"

Dumbledore continued on, but Harry was no longer listening.

'I killed him. I killed another person!' Harry's body began to tremble and he lost control over his muscles. He fell back onto his pillows and curled in on himself. 'Oh Merlin, I'm a monster!'

"Harry? Harry? What's wrong?" Dumbledore looked rather worried. Harry didn't answer, but continued to stare at nothing, his body vibrating. Dumbledore's smile faded and he jumped up to get Madam Pomfrey.

The aged Healer rushed to Harry's bedside, her wand flicking above his body.

"He's gone into shock," she reported, a frown on her face.

"Shock?" Dumbledore didn't sound very surprised.

"Yes, he clearly remembers something from what occurred that was not pleasant. What did you say to him he started to react like this?" she queried.

"I had simply mentioned Professor Quirrell's name."

Harry gave a violent tremble and he whimpered, burying his face in his hands.

"Please leave Headmaster," Pomfrey requested as she pushed the man out of the infirmary doors. They shut in his face, and the smile that had disappeared was once again in place.

Pomfrey sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and gently pulled him towards her.

"It's okay," she whispered. He was sobbing quietly now. "Tell me what happened." She ordered gently. The only response was a shuddering gasp and Harry continued on crying. He curled up further in an attempt to make himself as small as possible. Pomfrey rubbed soothing circles on his back, but nothing she did could get a response out of him.

Finally, after an hour, she hurried back to her office and grabbed a handful of green powder from a pot sitting on the mantelpiece of her fireplace. She tossed it into the low burning fire.

"Severus Snape's chambers, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," she spoke in a clear voice and the flames burst to life and turned green. Kneeling on the floor, she stuck her head into the fire. "Severus! Severus!" she called.

"What is it Poppy?" Snape asked as he approached.

"It's Potter, I need your help," she told him before pulling her head from the fire, and a moment later, Severus stepped through.

"What's wrong with him this time?"

"He's gone into shock and isn't responding. I'm going to need your help," she said as she rushed back into the infirmary, leading Severus to Harry's bed.

"How did he end up in this state?" he asked.

"The Headmaster mentioned, ah, our current Defense teacher, and Harry reacted like this," she informed him. Severus nodded before seating himself in a conjured chair. He carefully pulled Harry's hands away from his face.

"Potter, Potter, look at me," he ordered. Harry kept his eyes tightly shut. Severus shook him gently. "Look at me boy!"

Harry whined quietly and lashed out, nearly punching Severus in the shoulder. Harry rolled over and hid beneath his blankets.

"Get me a calming draught," he ordered Pomfrey. She nodded and bustled off. Turning back to the quivering mass of blankets, he did his best to keep his voice neutral. "Pott – Harry, we need to know what happened." Severus said slowly. No answer. "Please." Nothing. With a sigh, Severus rose and yanked the blankets away from Harry's head. "At least take the calming draught." He said as he took the small bottle from Pomfrey.

Harry put up little resistance as Severus lifted him up gently and poured the horrendous potion down his throat. Harry swallowed and the potion took affect immediately. His body became slack and he drifted off to sleep. The whole ordeal had drained him of what little energy he'd had.

XxXxXxX

The last few days of school passed by in a blur for Harry. He cared little for the fact that Ravenclaw had won the House Cup. He shared no enthusiasm for the coming holidays. Harry never answered a single question about what had happened, and if one pressed too far, they ended up in the Hospital Wing as the victim of a nasty hex courtesy of the Weasley twins.

The train was loaded down with excited students as it made its way to London. Harry paid his friends little attention. Alex and Hermione were chatting about their families for the summer, while Neville played a game of chess with Ron.

Just as the sun set fully, they pulled into Platform nine and three quarters.

Harry grabbed his trunk and dumped it on a trolley, placing Mikan's carrying basket on top of it.

XxXxXxX

Jon stood on the Muggle side of the barrier, waiting for Harry. He was excited to hear all of Harry's stories about his first year. The boy had kept him in suspense all year by giving very few details in the letters they'd exchanged.

In small groups, children along with their families stepped through the barrier, and he was practically bouncing up and down on his toes in anticipation.

After what felt like an eternity, he spotted a mop of messy black hair and green eyes coming towards him. He grinned, preparing to call out to Harry, but the smile soon melted away.

Nine months ago, Jonathan Tanigawa had dropped off his student at King Cross Station. Harry Potter was supposed to go and learn how to use magic, to become a wizard like his father before him. He'd watched the eleven year old boy jump between barely contained excitement and incredible nervousness. Deep down, he knew that this was what Harry wanted. A chance to be around those like him.

Now, nine months later, a boy of nearly twelve stepped through the barrier, looking so much older. His normally bright green eyes had lost some of their luster. Normally ram-rod straight posture had now been reduced to sagging shoulders and a slouch. Feet that normally walked so confidently barely shuffled now. He looked like an old warrior, one who had seen far too much in too little time.

A single thought ran through Jon's mind as he watched Harry come closer.

'What have they done to him?'

**And this is the end of the first part of seven! I hope is was satisfactory.**

**So here's the deal. I'll be updating on the 1st of every month. This gives me time to write, and keep up with school. Does that sound fair? Thanks for reading, and please review.**


	10. 2:1 :: NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 10: NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

Harry stared out the window of the car. The boy hadn't said a single word since his arrival. That alone made Jon nervous. Harry loved to talk about things that interested him strongly, and he had little doubt that magic would interest the boy. But this. This was different.

"So Harry, how have you been?" he asked, hoping to get a response. There was silence. "Did you make any friends?" He tried once more. This time, Harry held up six fingers. "Six friends? That's great Harry."

He knew how much the boy had craved friendship while still in primary school. His cousin had always beat up anyone that tried to so much as talk to Harry, destroying any chance the boy would have had to have someone his own age to talk to.

"You didn't get into any trouble did you?"

Harry shivered so strongly that there was no way Jon could have missed it.

"What happened?" he asked gently. Harry remained silent, but his shoulders shook slightly. Jon stopped at an intersection, and while he waited for an old lady to cross, he reached over to place a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry?"

Harry looked at him, tears streaming down his face.

"Harry? What happened?"

Harry gripped Jon's arm and buried his face in the man's shoulder. Jon bit his lip; he'd never been very good at comforting people, so having to do it now made him nervous. He managed to release Harry's grip on his shoulder, and wrapped an arm around the boy.

"Please, tell me what happened," Jon pleaded softly. Harry shook his head.

"I-I'm a terrible person," Harry said, his voice muffled by the cloth of Jon's shirt. "I'm a monster!"

"No, no you're not a monster Harry," Jon said, trying to placate the boy.

"Yes I am!" He insisted.

"How? How are you monster?"

"I-I killed him! I killed someone!" the tears flowed down Harry's cheeks twofold. Jon's eyes widened, what happened at that school? He looked down at Harry, who continued to sob uncontrollably. Jon hadn't been prepared for something like this. He had no idea what to say to Harry about it. For now, all he could do was hold onto the boy and pray he could come with something.

XxXxXxX

Two weeks later found Jennifer Thomas standing in before the front door of some unknown person's flat.

She'd gone to the Dursleys expecting to find Harry waiting in the kitchen. However, when she arrived, she'd been informed that Harry was somewhere else.

"Running around with that no good Jap," Vernon Dursley had told her.

So here she stood, a thermos filled with Harry's dose of Wolfsbane potion in her hand. Reaching up, she knocked on the door. A moment later, a young man in his mid twenties opened the door.

"Can I help you?" he asked her.

"I'm looking for Harry Potter," she said. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"I'm his doctor," she explained quickly. He nodded and moved aside.

"So, do you have a name, doctor?" Jon asked her.

"I am, Doctor Jennifer Thomas, and you are?"

"Jonathan Tanigawa," Jon told her. "Harry's still picking at his dinner." Jon said, leading her towards the kitchenette. Harry sat at the table, pushing bits of mashed potatoes and broccoli around his plate. He looked up when Jennifer sat down across from him.

"Hello Harry how was s-," she was cut off by Jonathan clamping a hand over her mouth. She looked up at him to glare, but he shook his head. "Here's your potion Harry." Jennifer placed the thermos on the table. She got up and walked towards the front door. Jon followed her, knowing she'd want to talk.

"What happened?" she hissed.

"I wish I knew, he just came back that way. I have no way of contacting anyone from Hogwarts, so I can't find out," Jon answered. "He mentioned when he got back that he'd – he'd killed someone."

"What?"

"I don't know either. He's hardly spoken a word since then. I haven't let him go back to the Dursleys at all; he doesn't need to have to deal with them while like this," Jon shook his head. "Please, is there any way you can help him?" He asked, almost sounding desperate.

"I can contact the Potions Master from Hogwarts; he may be able to help Harry. But I can't guarantee it," Jennifer told him. She opened the door, but paused on her way out. "Please, watch over him." She whispered before leaving.

XxXxXxX

Eventually, Jon had no choice but to allow Harry to go back to the Dursleys. He'd hoped that the boy wouldn't be in a great deal of trouble for not coming back immediately, though he seriously doubted that they cared about where Harry had been.

Harry was currently working in the backyard, trimming the rose bushes. Petunia kept a close eye on her nephew from where she stood in front of the kitchen window.

She'd never truly loved Harry, but his current behavior scared her. She was so used to the silent rebellion she could see in his eyes whenever he was given chores, but now, he was far too obedient. All life was gone in those green eyes. Eyes that haunted her, dragging up memories of her sister.

'Oh Lily, I hope you can see what that man has done to your little boy.' She thought as Harry put away the gardening shears and dragged the lawn mower out from the shed. Although she'd never admit is aloud, she was more proud of her nephew than her own son. She knew that Harry was destined for something great, something that would be seen to the world as great, but at the same time, possible rip the boy apart. And she could see it happening already.

A knock on the door made her jump, and she hurried to answer it. When she did, she was greeted by the cold gaze of a man she hadn't seen in years.

"Snape?" she murmured.

"Evans," he replied. "Excuse me, Mrs. Dursley." Severus corrected himself with a sneer.

"What are you doing here?" Petunia asked.

"I received a message from Potter's doctor. As Muggle therapy is out of question for the boy, I'm the only option," Severus told her.

"What do you mean? Is this about why he's been so – so unresponsive?"

"Yes, Potter has Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome," Severus told her.

"P-post Traumatic? How?"

"That's what I intend on finding out," Severus surveyed the entrance hall, noting the pristine cleanliness. "Where is Potter?"

"Out in the backyard," Petunia replied. She let Severus inside. "I suggest you do this quickly before Vernon returns."

"I've no intention of meeting your…husband," he told her. Severus stepped out onto the back porch, and grumbled at the noise the mower was making. Looking at Harry, he could see what Petunia had meant. His face was a blank slate, and his eyes were dull. He could see even from this distance that no amount of busy work could keep Harry's mind off of what had happened.

Severus approached Harry, and clapped a hand over Harry shoulder. The boy jumped and looked up at him fearfully. Severus reached over and cut the motor on the mower. He then steered Harry towards the porch and forced him to sit.

"What are you doing here Professor?" Harry asked, though there was very little curiosity in his tone.

"I'm here to help you Potter," Severus replied. "The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we can get back to our daily lives."

"What would you know?" Harry spat. Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Quite a bit actually," Severus said. "Now, what exactly happened that night, and do not leave out any detail. In your current state, you cannot keep me out of your mind."

"We – that is, Ron, Hermione, Alex and I sneaked down to the third floor corridor," Harry began slowly. "We got passed all of the obstacles, but Ron and Alex were injured by Professor McGonagall's chess pieces. Hermione and I went on ahead. The troll was already unconscious. Hermione figured out your logic puzzle. I sent her back, and I moved on.

Professor Quirrell and I talked for a bit, and then he decided to try and kill me. He tackled me, and I forgot that my pocket knife was in my hand. I stabbed him in the chest. And, whenever he touched me, it hurt us both."

Severus listened carefully, looking out for any lies in Harry's words.

"He bled to death, and then I blacked out. But, I remember feeling like someone was carrying me," Harry finished. Severus could see that the boy was struggling not to start crying.

"You feel that it is your fault that Quirrell died," he stated.

"Yes! Merlin yes!" Harry couldn't help himself, and the tears began to fall.

"It is not your fault!" Severus said forcefully.

"Yes it is!"

"It would not have mattered, because the pain of trying to hurt you with his bare hands would have killed him, as would the Dark Lord leaving his body. All you did was speed up the process," Severus told him.

"But, still, I watched him die. And it was horrible!" Harry seemed to forget who he was talking to, and buried his face in Severus' jacket. Severus froze for a moment, unsure of what to do. He wasn't used to dealing with weepy children.

"H-Harry, no matter what you think, it is not your fault. It's not ones fault but Quirrell's. Do you understand me? No one blames you, so you shouldn't blame yourself. His death was inevitable. No matter when, or what the circumstances, he would have died as Fate decreed it."

"I don't believe you!"

"You must! The Dark Lord does not punish failure lightly, no matter how, that man would have died!" Severus said. Harry just shook his head. Severus sighed, knowing that the boy was too distraught to be able to continue on. "I will return in three days once you have sufficiently calmed. Good day to you."

Severus stood, and looking about carefully, he disappeared with a soft pop.

XxXxXxX

The next day, Harry's birthday, Vernon was having guests over so Harry ran about the house, cleaning everything. He didn't understand why the top floor needed to be cleaned; it wasn't like they were going up there at any point.

Once he was done, Petunia fed him something and sent him off to Jon's. She'd convinced Vernon to let Harry stay with Jon for the evening, saying that it was just in case something happened and they didn't have to explain about Harry.

Harry sat in front of the television, not really taking in what was going on. Jon sat down next to him holding a small festively wrapped package in his hands.

"Happy birthday Harry," he said. Harry nodded and took the gift, but he made no move to open it up. "Aren't you going to open it?" Jon asked. Harry shrugged. Jon frowned. "You want some cake?" Another shrug. Jon stood up and walked into the kitchenette. Grabbing a paper plate from the bag sitting on the counter and a knife from the drawer, he turned towards the cake sitting on the table, only to nearly drop the knife on his foot. "What the hell! Harry!"

Harry came into the small kitchen and stared at the short thing standing in front of Jon. It had large ears like a bat, and huge tennis ball sized green eyes. It turned to Harry, and bowed, its long nose brushing the linoleum floor.

"Harry Potter, sir!" it exclaimed in a high voice. Harry just stared.

"What is he?" Jon asked. Harry shrugged; he'd never seen a creature like this before.

"Dobby sir, Dobby the house-elf," it informed Harry.

"Never heard of them. But, what are you doing here?"

"Dobby has come to tell you…but Dobby does no know where to begin…"

"Why don't you sit down?" Jon asked, pulling out one of the dining room chairs. To their surprise, Dobby burst into noisy tears.

"D-Dobby has never…never…never been asked to sit down by a wizard – like an equal!"

"Wizard? I'm not a wizard."

"Not, sir? You have the aura, sir. You are a wizard," Dobby told Jon.

"That makes no sense, I can't use magic," Jon muttered, but Dobby had turned back to Harry, staring at the boy with an expression of pure adoration.

"Why are you here?" Harry asked tonelessly.

"I am here to warn you, sir," Dobby said. He seemed to stop and think, before speaking again, "Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."

"What?"

"You mustn't return!"

"Why? I belong at Hogwarts," Harry protested weakly.

"There is a plot of great evil, to make most horrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Dobby was whispering, his small body trembling. "Harry Potter must not be in danger, he is too important."

"I have to go back, I can't stay with my aunt and uncle," Harry insisted.

"You must stay safe," Dobby said.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Dobby, Harry. After what happened last year, I don't want you going back there." Jon said.

"But Jon, my friends…"

"Friends that do not even write to Harry Potter?" Dobby asked.

"How do you know they haven't been writing to me?" Harry asked, eyes narrowing.

For a moment, Jon could just see the life in Harry's eyes spark brightly.

"Harry Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby," the house-elf began slowly.

"You've been stopping the letters," Harry growled, his body crouching in a predatory stance. The light flashed again in his eyes.

"Dobby has them here, sir," Dobby said, producing a thick wad of envelopes from beneath the filthy pillowcase he wore, "Dobby had hoped that…if Harry Potter thought his friends had abandoned him, then Harry Potter might not wish to return to school, sir."

Harry had quit listening, he lunged at Dobby, trying to grab the letters, but Dobby maneuvered out of his way easily.

"Harry Potter may have them, sir, if he gives Dobby his word that he will not go back to Hogwarts."

"Give them to me," Harry spat angrily.

"Then, you leave Dobby no choice," Dobby said sadly. The elf snapped his fingers, and the cake rose into the air. It shifted so that it was no longer hovering over the table, and then, he disappeared with a crack, and the cake fell to the floor, splattering everywhere. The two males just stared.

Jon grabbed a mop from the small cupboard and set to work cleaning it up, while Harry just stood, there, feeling incredibly drained of energy. He slumped to the ground.

It wasn't long after when an owl swooped in from the open living room window and dropped a letter on the table before flying away.

"What does it say?" Jon asked. Harry stared at it for a moment before opening it up. He read it aloud, and sighed.

"How do they know it was you?"

"I guess I'm the only wizard in the area that's underage," Harry replied. He rose from the floor and curled up on the sofa and fell asleep, clutching the gift Jon had given him.

XxXxXxX

Harry was crouched on the ground, pulling weeds from the garden. He wiped sweat from his brow and pulled his t-shirt off. He leaned back and groaned at the heat. After a moment, he got back to work.

After several minutes, he was startled by a voice coming from a nearby bush.

_"Such inconsiderate humans,"_ he looked around, but only saw a garden snake slithering by. _"Have no respect whatsoever for other's homes."_

"Is that you?" Harry asked. The snake halted and looked at him.

_"You can underssstand me?"_ it asked him.

"Yes," Harry replied. "I've done this before. Spoken to a snake, I mean."

_"I see. You are an interesting one, wolf-boy,"_ it said. Harry blinked. _"I can smell you, you are different."_

"Obviously, I doubt this is a common ability," Harry said.

_"You are, distraught about something,"_ the snake accused.

"How can you tell?"

_"You reek of it."_

"Oh."

_"I recall seeing you three sunrises ago, you were weeping,"_ it told him. _"The adult human was most unhelpful."_

"Yeah," Harry said quietly, "he was."

_"Perhaps, I can be of assistance,"_ the snake suggested.

"I don't know," Harry looked doubtful.

_"Tell me,"_ it wasn't a suggestion, it was an order.

"Okay, I killed someone, and I feel awful about it," Harry simply said.

_"Your human emotions are restraining you,"_ the snake told him.

"What do you mean?"

_"You of all humans should understand your most basic instincts. For a single moment, become the animal inside of you,"_ Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes. All noise fell away; all noise but the hissing from the snake. For a moment, he felt something raw and wild rise up within him and he snapped his eyes in open in shock. _"You've found it. Good. Now, return to it, but be careful, you don't wish for it to take over."_

Harry once again closed his eyes and fell back into his mind. This time, he heard a distant howl and approaching cautiously, he took in the small, sleek back wolf that stared back at him.

And then to Harry's surprise, the wolf came up to him and nudged his hand with its nose. He scratched it behind the ears and it gave a soft growl of approval.

The blackness that lay before Harry flashed, and he saw each of his friends appear before him, as if on a television screen. The wolf watched just as intently as he did. Then the images changed to them all, lying dead or dying. The wolf growled, and finally it showed Voldemort as Harry last saw him. The hair on the back of his neck rose, and glancing at his canine counterpart, it too stood, hackles raised, fur standing on end. It pounced, and the image and wolf were gone.

Harry's eyes opened slowly and he let out a breath. "Wow," he whispered.

"Do you understand now?" the snake asked.

"Yes. I killed him, but it was because my instincts told me that if not doing so was too big of a risk," Harry said. The snake bobbed its head in a form of a nod.

_"That's right, do you feel better now?"_

"Yeah," Harry smiled, "Thanks."

_"No problem, wolf-boy. Come see me again if you need anymore advice,"_ the snake slithered away back into its den. Harry stretched and returned to pulling weeds with renewed vigor.

XxXxXxX

One week later, everyone had seen the abrupt change in Harry. He now responded when asked a question, and he spent hours sitting in Jon's living room, completing his summer work.

Even Petunia had been inwardly relieved when the old spark in his eyes returned full force.

Harry was going over his Potions essay one last time, when an owl swooped in and dropped a letter on top of his essay. He saw the Hogwarts seal and tore the envelope open.

"What is it?" Jon asked him, while toweling off a plate.

"It's a list of the books I need this year," Harry answered. "Let's, see. I need, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk, Break with a Banshee, Gadding with Ghouls, Holidays with Hags, Travels with Trolls, Voyages with Vampires, Wanderings with Werewolves, and Year with the Yeti, all by some bloke named Gilderoy Lockhart."

"What kind of name is that?" Harry shrugged. "And why do you need all of those books anyway?"

"It must be from the new Defense teacher," Harry said.

"So when do you want to head to Diagon Alley?" Jon asked him.

"Sometime next week, probably," he suggested.

"Have you received any news from your friends?"

"Just a postcard from Alex, she and her brother are visiting relatives in Germany. Said she'd be back at the end of the week. Hermione doesn't have an owl, Ron's family has an ancient one that's about to keel over, and I'm not too sure about Neville."

"Maybe you'll get lucky and you'll run into them at the Alley. Do you remember how to get in?"

"I think so, if not, I'm sure we can ask Tom to give us a hand," Harry told him, crossing out a sentence in his essay. Jon nodded and went back to washing the dishes.

XxXxXxX

They eventually decided to go ahead and head to Diagon Alley on Wednesday. Harry walked over the Jon's flat, and woke the man up. Jon was sprawled on his bed, legs tangled in the sheets. Harry shook him, but he showed no response, so Harry got up on the bed and stepped on Jon's back.

"Harry!" Jon cried out in shock.

"I wanna beat the crowds today," Harry told him as he stepped out of the room so Jon could get ready.

XxXxXxX

After a twenty drive, they made it to London, and Harry managed to locate the Leaky Cauldron. After several attempts, Harry managed to tap the correct combination of bricks and the wall swept aside for them.

"So, where to first Harry?" Jon asked, eyes sweeping about.

"I'm not too sure how expensive these Lockhart books are going to be, so, maybe to Gringotts first," Harry said.

"Sounds good."

The pair headed towards Gringotts, glad that the place was mostly empty.

Harry came up to a counter, and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, I'd like to make a withdrawal," Harry told the goblin, whom he'd recognized vaguely as Griphook.

"Do you have your key?" the goblin asked.

"Uh, no, I'm not sure who has it at the moment," Harry told him.

"Very well, give me your hand," Harry held his hand out for Griphook. To his surprise, the goblin produced a small knife, and pricked Harry's middle finger. A small droplet of blood landed on a small silver tray and hissed. After a moment, a key popped into existence. "Here is your key, Mr. Potter. I will take you to your vault."

The cart ride was as intense as the first time he'd experienced it. But he enjoyed just as much.

After scooping a few handfuls into his bag, Harry stuffed it into his pocket before hopping back into the cart and they were on their way back to the surface.

XxXxXxX

"Harry! Harry! Over here!" Harry spun to see Hermione jumping up and down excitedly. She stood before a counter, two adults with her.

"Hermione!" Harry jogged up to her, and the girl threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again Harry," she said.

"It's good to see you too Hermione," Harry smiled when she finally let go of him.

"Oh! Harry, these are my parents, John and Linda," Hermione told him, motioning to her parents.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Granger," Harry shook hands with each of them. "And this is my martial arts teacher, Jonathan Tanigawa." Harry yanked the older man forward.

"It's good to meet you," he said with a nervous grin. He shook John's hand.

"So you teach Harry how to fight?"

"Well, to defend himself technically, but, yes, I suppose I do. Though at the rate he's been going at, I won't be his teacher for much longer," Jon said with a sad smile.

"Hermione, have you seen anyone else yet, today?" Harry asked.

"No, not yet, Neville couldn't convince his Gran to come today, so we'll miss him, and Alex called me yesterday, she won't be getting back for another week," Hermione said.

"What about Ron?"

"I think his family is coming today, I can't recall."

"Well, we're done here dear, would you like to head out now?" Linda asked Hermione.

"Okay, can Harry and Mr. Tanigawa come with us?"

"Yes, that's fine," John said.

The group left Gringotts, and set off down the street. Harry and Hermione led the way, speculating on who the new Defense teacher was. Hermione was secretly glad that Harry was finally back to his old self.

It didn't take long to gather their supplies, and soon, they found themselves shoving their way through the crowd in Flourish and Blotts. A disgruntled wizard at the front door grumbled about unruly crowds.

"What's going on here?" Harry asked.

"You missed the sign outside? Gilderoy Lockhart is here himself!" Hermione giggled and clapped her hands together.

"He's the guy that wrote most of the books on the list," Harry muttered to himself. He noticed that the majority of the crowd consisted of middle-age witches. As they pushed their way towards the nearest staircase, they stepped onto it and sighed. "I think we should wait to get our things." He suggested, but Hermione wasn't listening.

"Oh, look, there he is!"

Gilderoy Lockhart was a man of average height, and wavy blonde hair. At the moment, his robes were a forget-me-not blue, and to Harry's disgust, the robes matched the man's eye color. Next to him, Hermione sighed. Someone below upset a pile of dusty books and Harry sneezed loudly. He sniffed, and a strange scent found its way towards him. His eyes followed the scent's trail, and it led straight to Lockhart.

'Well this is interesting,' Harry thought. He hadn't noticed that nearly everyone in the shop was staring at him.

"It couldn't possibly be Harry Potter?" Lockhart gasped. The photographer that had been zipping about taking pictures made a beeline for Harry.

_"Shimatta,"_ he cursed. "See you later Hermione!" He called, jumping over the banister and melting into the crowd before anyone could properly process what had happened.

Jon saw Harry bolt from the store.

"Harry, what-?"

"Explain later, run now!" Harry yelled. He tossed Jon his coin bag. "Pay for my books please!" He requested before turning a corner.

"What's going on?" Linda asked.

"Hermione didn't mention it?" Jon asked. The Grangers shook their heads.

"Well, apparently, Harry is famous here. He hates it. I'm guessing he caught the attention of someone in there, and he's running away," Jon said.

"Oh my goodness, that must have been a bit of a shock," Linda said.

"It was. He can't stand the fact that he can't remember what he's famous for, and everyone expects such big things from him."

"What exactly did he do?" John asked.

"Eleven years ago, there was this evil wizard that wanted to take over all of wizard Britain. He targeted Harry's parents, so they went into hiding. But the wizard found them, killed his father, then his mother. And here comes the strange part, when he attempted to use the curse that killed his parents on Harry, the spell backfired. Destroyed the evil wizard. All Harry has to show for it is the scar on his forehead."

"That's incredible," John murmured.

"Why would he hate the attention?" Linda questioned.

"Because, if not for this, he'd have known his parents. He lacked a proper mother and father figure growing up. His aunt and uncle didn't really care for him very much. He's missed out on so much, and he can't stand being reminded of that when others look at him as a hero."

"The poor boy. It's good that he has you at least," Linda smiled at Jon.

"Yeah. At least there's someone," Jon murmured. He watched as a reporter ran from the book store and looked around.

"Did you see Harry Potter go by?" he demanded rudely.

"Er, I think he went that way," Jon said, pointing in the opposite direction Harry had gone in.

XxXxXxX

Hermione sat on the steps until a book hit her on the head.

"Ow!"

"Oh, I didn't see you there Mudblood," Hermione flushed and turned to face Draco Malfoy.

"Excuse me?" Hermione glared at him.

"Has your hearing gone out on you now too, Mudblood? Merlin knows that your looks were bad enough," he drawled. He reeled back when Hermione's fist collided with his nose. He cried out and gripped his nose.

"Don't you dare call me that! You should know that no civilized human would use such a word!" Hermione yelled.

"_You_ are calling _me_ uncivilized?" Malfoy scoffed.

"That's right," Hermione watched as a thin stream of blood dripped from Malfoy's nose. She felt quite satisfied with herself. Malfoy wiped away the blood, and was about to say something when a hand clapped down on his shoulder.

"Now, now, Draco, be nice," a tall man, who looked just like Draco stood there, giving Hermione a look similar to the boy.

"Yes Father," the boy murmured, still nursing his nose.

"Hermione! Hermione! Are you okay?"

Ron bounded up the short staircase and came to a halt next to the girl.

"I'm fine Ron," she responded. The redhead ignored the two Malfoys and grabbed Hermione by the wrist.

"Let's get out of here, it's a mess in here," he said as he pulled her away. The pair met up with the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione was introduced to the youngest child, Ginny.

"Hello, you're starting at Hogwarts this year?" Hermione smiled at her. Ginny nodded shyly. "Don't worry; it's not nearly as scary as your brothers make it sound." Ginny giggled. The girl adjusted her grip on the cauldron in her arms.

"Well, well, Arthur Weasley," Mr. Weasley turned to see the two Malfoys approaching.

"Lucius," Arthur gave him a curt nod.

"I hear the Ministry has been quite busy," Lucius plucked an old and battered copy of _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ from the stack piled inside Ginny's cauldron. "One would think they would at least pay you overtime." He sneered. Lucius' eyes traveled over to where the Grangers had just entered, and Jon who stood with a stack of Lockhart books in his arms. Harry popped in and relieved the man of the load.

"Thanks Jon," he said breathlessly. It'd been a while since he'd run so much. Lucius turned his attention back to Arthur.

"Keeping such company, here I thought your family could sink no lower –"

Arthur had thrown himself at Lucius. The pair went down and knocked over a large stack of heavy books. Lucius managed to split Arthur's lip open, but was knocked in the face with a heavy book, a spectacular black eye decorating his pale face.

"All righ' gents, break it up," Hagrid – who had appeared from nowhere – pulled the two men apart. Lucius worked his way out of Hagrid's grip and shoved Ginny's Transfiguration book back at her.

"Take your book girl, it's the best your father can give you," Lucius gripped Draco by the shoulder and they left the store.

The large group made its way back to the Leaky Cauldron. After they all ate dinner together, the Granger, Jon and Harry headed back into Muggle London.

"I'll see you at the Station, Harry!" Hermione gave him another hug.

"It was nice meeting you Harry," John said while shaking John's hand.

"You too Mr. Granger," Harry smiled.

Jon was tossing all of Harry's things into the backseat of his car, waved to the Grangers.

"Bye Hermione!" Harry called as they drove off.

The ride back to Privet Drive was quiet and held in comfortable silence.

"Well, today was an interesting day," Jon said as he dropped Harry off in front of the Dursleys.

"Yeah, I'll see you later Jon," Harry hopped out of the car and walked up to the front door and let himself in. He waved one final time before shutting the door.

**You people are in luck! I finished this chapter early! I'm putting this up because I won't have any time to write in November, mid terms are on the first week of November, and I can't have any distractions. I'm failing my Economics class, so I have to bring up my grade, so my parents don't yell at me so much. Please review!**

**Shimattadamn/shit/fuck/etc.**


	11. 2:2 :: Home Sweet Home Reborn

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 11: Home Sweet Home(Reborn)

Harry ducked when a tea cup collided against the wall just above him. To his shock, Petunia was yelling at Vernon.

"How could you!? How dare you!? Did you think I wouldn't find out about that little whore you were keeping!?" she screeched.

"But Pet-," Vernon was cut off by another flying tea cup. Harry had to admit, his aunt's aim was amazing. The atmosphere in the room was electric, and he swore that he could feel wild magic permeating the room.

"Get out! Get out! I never want to see you again!" she screamed, her voice reaching up another octave in pitch. Vernon winced and made a hasty retreat. He went upstairs, and came back down five minutes later with a suitcase. He shoved Harry aside and slammed the door behind him. Petunia sighed and sank into the nearest arm chair.

"A-aunt Petunia?" Harry spoke carefully.

"What is it dear?" she asked tiredly. Harry's brow furrowed, this was new to him.

"Um, what's going on?"

"Nothing, but could you bring me a large brandy?" she asked him.

"O-okay," Harry hastily complied. He brought her the brandy and she gulped it down and sighed again.

"Thank you dear," she murmured as she polished off the tumbler. "Bring the bottle here please." She requested. Harry grabbed the remainder of the bottle and handed it to Petunia. She took a large swig from the bottle. "Go on up to bed, I'm sure you've had a long day." She said.

"Yes Aunt Petunia," Harry went up to his room but could not sleep, trying desperately to wrap his brain around what had happened.

XxXxXxX

The next day, Harry awoke to the smell smoke. He jumped out of bed, but he realized that the house wasn't on fire. He looked out his bedroom window and saw his aunt out in the backyard throwing his uncle's things into a large bonfire.

He came out to the backyard, pulling a fresh shirt on.

"Aunt Petunia? What are you doing?" Harry asked her.

"Oh nothing dear, just doing some," she paused to toss Vernon's golf bag into the fire, and grinning madly, "_cleaning_." The last word was said with some emphasis. Next went Vernon's Employee of the Month plaque from November 1983.

Harry just watched until he heard hissing laughter. Turning he saw the garden snaking watching as well. He couldn't help but chuckle himself.

"Harry, be a dear and put some tea on for me please," Petunia asked as she threw in a few of Vernon's work shirts. Harry nodded and went back into the kitchen.

There was a crash and Harry saw Petunia tossing in several boxes of Vernon's belongings.

Harry had managed to piece together what had happened the night before. Clearly, his uncle had been cheating on Aunt Petunia, and she'd found out. Though he shuddered to think of how desperate a woman had to be to sleep with his uncle. He realized he was insulting Aunt Petunia, who at the moment, was really quite nice to him.

XxXxXxX

Harry lounged on the couch, watching the television. At the moment, it was just a badly conceived game show, but at least he had something to do. He didn't feel like even touching the Lockhart books, and he had long since finished with his homework.

Petunia came in, dressed in a pale blue summer dress.

"I'll be over at the Watson's for tea. There's some left over pork roast in the refrigerator if you get hungry," she told him.

"Okay, have fun," he said. He was secretly glad that Dudley wasn't around, simply because it meant he could finally sit around the house like he actually belonged there.

Harry flipped through the channels, slowly getting bored of watching the television. He was so used to having something active to do, that just sitting there felt foreign to him. Finally, turning off the television, he hopped up and decided to check on the smolders that were his uncle's possessions. He didn't want something sparking and burning the house down.

There was still some smoke curling from the charred mass on the lawn, so he grabbed the hose and soaked it thoroughly. Once he was satisfied, he located the garden snake and let it curl up his leg for a conversation. Sunset soon approached, and Harry was forced to go inside when the doorbell rang.

He opened the door to find his Potions professor standing on the doorstep, dressed in a black button down shirt, and dark jeans.

"Is your uncle home, Potter?" Snape asked.

"No, he was kicked out last night," Harry replied.

"I see, may I come in?" Harry stepped aside to let the man through.

"Would you like something to drink?" Harry asked.

"No, I have been informed by Dr. Thomas that you've recovered. Is this true?"

"Yes sir."

"May I ask, how?"

"Um, well," Harry hesitated before running out the backyard and scooping up the snake. He hurried back, and Snape arched an eyebrow at the snake. "He helped me understand that what I did was okay." Harry explained.

"And how did he do that, Mr. Potter?"

"I can talk to him, sir," Harry answered. For a moment, Harry thought that Severus was actually shocked, but that short moment was gone. Severus cleared his throat before speaking again.

"I suggest, that you tell no one about this ability," he said.

"May I ask why?"

"It is associated with Dark magic, unfortunately. As of now, you are the only known living speaker of Parseltongue. Please, for your own safety, tell no one, not even your friends," Severus explained.

"I understand, sir," Harry said. Severus rose from his seat.

"I shall see you at Hogwarts Mr. Potter, good day," Severus walked out the door and was gone.

XxXxXxX

Mikan explored the house thoroughly, sniffing here and there, and seemed to stare intently at the photographs of Dudley on the walls. Petunia permitted Harry to let Mikan stay in the house on the condition that she not leave fur balls lying about. Now that Vernon was gone, and had taken Dudley with him, Petunia appeared to go through a complete transformation.

Harry was still getting used to being able to sleep in, stay up late, and he didn't have to spend all hours of the day doing chores. He enjoyed his new freedom, and relished in it as much as possible, as there were only two weeks left before the new school year started.

Tonight was another full moon and Harry was preparing for the transformation. Although it didn't hurt nearly as much as it did the first time, or that first time at Hogwarts, it was still very uncomfortable for him. He realized after his first meeting with the snake, that if he meditated immediately before the transformation, it was more bearable for him.

"Good evening Harry," Jennifer said softly, knocking on the frame of his bedroom door. He opened his eyes from his position on the floor and nodded back to her. She set his dose of the Wolfsbane potion down in front of him.

"Thank you," he said just as quietly. She smiled.

"Oh, before I forget, I have your birthday present here," she reached into her purse and pulled out a wrapped package.

"Thank you, did you speak to Madam Pomfrey or Professor Snape about why his potion isn't as strong?" Harry asked her as he tugged at the wrapping paper.

"Yes, after comparing the dose I give you, and the one Professor Snape gives you, we concluded that the Professor wasn't giving you a large enough dose," Jennifer told him.

"I see," Harry said with a smile as he revealed a new bottle of Instant-Dry ink, along with a new set of quills. "Thank you." He said. Harry set it aside and uncapped the thermos. He lifted it to Jennifer. "Here's to another school year." He announced before throwing his head back and swallowing the potion.

He grimaced and handed the thermos back to the woman.

"I'll see you next July Harry, be safe," Jennifer said, giving him a crushing hug. She shut the door behind him and slid the three bolts there to lock him in.

Harry stripped off the remainder of his clothing and pulled the blinds of his window up. He sat back down and waited.

He shuddered and pitched forward, now on his hands and knees. A shaky gasp escaped him as the bones in his body began to pop and snap. 'Don't fight it, just let it happen!' he coached himself. His muscles visibly relaxed before tensing once more. His arms could now longer support his weight and he fell forward, face rubbing against the carpet.

Harry kept his eyes shut tight throughout it all. A sharp pain at the base of his spine announced the arrival of his tail, the bone ripped through flesh and he screamed. His fingers shortened and fused closer together, his nails lengthening and sharpening into points. Harry's skin itched as what little hair on his body grew quickly, and thickly. The lower half of his face lengthened out, and the skin on his nose became black and changed texture, several short whiskers sprouting from the sides. His jaw stretched wide to accommodate his teeth as they became longer and more lethal. His ears shifted and changed shape to rest at the top of his head. Harry let out several shuddering breaths as his vocal chords and voice box changed in his neck. He shifted and sat on his haunches. Throwing his head back, he howled to the moon.

XxXxXxX

Petunia set down a feast on a tray and carefully carried it up to Harry's room. Balancing the tray on her hip, she slid the bolts and opened the door.

Harry was curled up on the floor, moaning quietly as he attempted to sleep a little while longer. Petunia set the tray down on his desk and lifted the blanket off the bed and threw it over her nephew. Harry immediately pulled it closer to his body to stay warm. Petunia wrapped her arms around him.

"Come one Harry, up onto the bed," she whispered to him as she lifted him up. He winced and let out a moan of protest, but she was already setting him down on his bed. She settled the tray over his legs and helped him pick up the fork. "Now, eat." Petunia ordered.

Harry's hand shook as he ate, but with each bite he swallowed some of his strength returned. Soon, the whole tray was gone; Harry had gone as far as licking the plate clean before he announced himself done with breakfast. Petunia took the tray and Harry curled up to sleep until lunch. She smiled and pulled the blanket up a little further before stepping out of his room.

XxXxXxX

Harry blocked Jon's kick with his forearm, and twisted, wrapping his arm around Jon's leg. He pulled the man closer, and aimed a hand chop to Jon's knee. Jon grabbed Harry's arm, forcing the boy to release his leg. Jon then aimed a punch for Harry's abdomen, but Harry blocked it before hopping back a few feet.

Both males took the time to regain their breath before rushing at each other again. Harry locked his arms around Jon's and flipped the man over his hip. Jon hit the mat with a thump and grinned until Harry stepped on his chest to hold him down.

_"Katta,"_ Harry announced seriously. Jon raised an eyebrow.

_"Honto?"_ Jon asked. He moved quickly, knocking Harry off balance while righting himself. Jon had Harry's wrists gripped behind his back, pressing the boys face into the mat. His knee dug painfully into Harry's lower back. _"Saa? Kachi kai?"_ He asked with a smirk. _"Oshiete, Arashi-chan."_ Harry glared at him, and grumbled something. _"Nani? Kikoenai."_

_"Boku to itta, Sensei o katta, ojii-chan,"_ Harry snapped. Jon pressed Harry's face further into the mat.

_"Ojii-chan? Damare, kouzo."_

_"Shi-shitsureishimashita,"_ Harry muttered. Jon grinned and released him. Harry pushed himself to his feet. Harry glanced at the clock on the wall. "I think I should be going now." He said.

"Okay Harry, I'll see you later," Jon gave the boy a nudge towards the door. Harry stuffed his feet into his trainers and pulled the door open before Jon spoke again. "Hold up for a second."

"What is it?" Harry asked, turning to him.

"Here, for good luck this year," Jon said, placing something in Harry's hand. Harry nodded.

_"Jaa, aniki,"_ Harry murmured before stepping through the doorway and shutting it.

XxXxXxX

"Harry! Harry! Wake up, we're running late!" Petunia knocked on his bedroom door frantically.

September first came sooner than Harry would have liked, but he missed his friends a great deal.

He jumped out of bed and changed quickly into a fresh t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Shoving his feet into his trainers, he grabbed the small good luck charm Jon had given him and tied it to one of his belt loops. Harry grabbed his trunk and carefully dragged it down the stairs.

"Come on Harry, we're going to miss the train at this rate," Petunia said, shoving a napkin with a ham and egg sandwich into his hands. He held onto it with his teeth as he loaded the trunk into the boot of the car. He was about to slide into the passenger seat when he jumped up again.

"Mikan!" he cried, running back up the steps to the front door. Mikan was sitting in front of the door, tail flicking to and fro agitatedly. Harry sighed and picked her up. "Sorry girl."

"Hurry up!" Petunia called to him from the car. Harry hopped inside and they drove away.

XxXxXxX

Harry wheezed and coughed to regain his breath. He slowly pushed himself to his feet, and straightened the trolley and calmed Mikan who was hissing loudly and causing a scene.

"What happened?" Petunia asked.

"I don't know, the barrier wouldn't let me through," Harry said. He casually leaned against the barrier, but it remained steadfastly solid.

"Come on kids, hurry up!" a female voice called a little further down.

"Percy, you go first," a male voice said. Harry cursed, and grabbed Percy's trunk, preventing him from advancing any further.

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley looked at him in shock.

"The barrier's sealed itself, you won't be able to get through," Harry told him.

"What?" Mr. Weasley approached.

"I just bruised my ribs try to run through it," Harry explained. Mr. Weasley leaned his hand against the bricks, and found it solid.

"Strange," the elder man murmured. Just then, the nearby clock chimed ten o'clock.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Weasley chewed on her lip for a moment. "What do we do Arthur?" She asked.

"We have to contact Dumbledore and let him know, the children need to get to school," Arthur said.

"How are we going to get to him?" Petunia asked. It was then that the family noticed Petunia.

"Percy, come out to the car with me, bring Hermes," Arthur ordered. Percy nodded and lifted Hermes' cage and followed after his father.

"Come along kids, we'll go wait in the car," Molly suggested. "You too Harry, Mrs…" Molly trailed off, realizing she didn't know Harry's aunt.

"Miss Evans," Petunia said. "Petunia Evans."

"Come with us then, Petunia," Molly lead the large group away from the platform and out to the parking lot.

"Where'd Mr. Weasley and Percy go?" Harry asked.

"Probably out in an alley, can't let the Muggles see Hermes flying off you know," Ron said. Harry nodded in understanding. Several minutes later, they saw Hermes fly off above the buildings, and the two Weasleys appeared.

"Well, we shouldn't have to wait to long, I put a Speeding Spell on Hermes so he'd fly faster," Arthur announced.

"That's good," Molly said, before continuing on with her conversation with Petunia.

XxXxXxX

Dumbledore frowned at the short note in his hands. The barrier to the platform never closed before ten o'clock and for it to do so just when Harry was reaching it seemed a bit too convenient. Someone knocked on the door to his office and Severus and Professor Flitwick appeared.

"Ah, thank you for coming so promptly. Lemon Drop?" both men shook their heads. "Well then, down to business, it seems the barrier to Platform Nine and Three Quarters sealed itself before ten o'clock. The Weasley family, and Mr. Potter arrived before that, but it was sealed when Harry attempted to step through. I'd like you both to fetch the children."

"Why do I have to go?" Severus asked.

"Because Minerva is busy preparing for the arrival of the first years," Dumbledore replied. Severus sighed.

"Very well, I will go."

"Excellent! You'll find them in the parking lot by Arthur's Ford Anglia," Dumbledore explained. He produced an empty bag of sweets and a pair of socks from a drawer and set them on the desk. He tapped his wand to each of them and whispered an incantation. Both objects glowed for a moment, and he handed them over to Severus. Severus spun around and headed for the door.

"Hurry up Filius, I wish to get this over with as quickly as possible," he said. The much shorter man followed after Severus as they made their way towards the entrance.

They trekked down the path towards the edge of the wards, and with two nearly silent pops, were gone.

XxXxXxX

After taking a moment to transfigure their robes into more appropriate attire, they approached the large group surrounding the old light blue car.

"Oh, hello Severus," Molly greeted him cheerfully. Severus' thin lips pressed together in a thin line, but he did give her a nod of acknowledgement.

"We were informed by the headmaster that the students were unable to pass through the barrier," Professor Flitwick said.

"And we were given the happy pleasure of collecting them," Severus groused. He then reached into his pocket and produced the two objects Dumbledore had given him. "Everyone make sure you've all of your belongs in physical contact with you, and hold onto one of these objects." He directed. Flitwick took the socks and held them out. Harry, Ron, and Ginny took a hold of it, while the twins and Percy grabbed the bag of sweets.

"Have fun at school kids," Arthur said. "And keep an eye on Ginny." He added.

"Dad!" Ginny flushed in embarrassment.

"Stay safe, all of you," Molly told them.

"The same goes for you Harry," Petunia said.

"Yes Aunt Petunia, I'll be careful," Harry assured her. Abruptly, there was a sharp tug at his navel and he felt his world spinning rapidly.

As he fell, he managed to get his legs under him, and successfully landed. Meanwhile, the Weasleys came tumbling out of the air. The four boys landed in a heap with Percy at the bottom. Harry managed to catch Ginny before she fell. Their trunks landed with heavy thuds, and Mikan yowled as she landed on Ron's head.

Severus smirked at the Weasley boys. Returning his robes to their normal state, he passed by Harry.

"And I thought dog's didn't land on their feet," he murmured in Harry's ear before walking on by. Harry glared at the man, before helping Ginny collect her trunk.

"T-thank you Harry," she stuttered and blushed.

"No problem Ginny," he said with a smile. Her blush deepened a bit more. Harry lifted up his trunk and retrieved Mikan, who was stalking Scabbers over the grass. Casting the Levitation charm on his trunk, he followed Severus up the path towards the castle. It wasn't long before everyone else followed.

XxXxXxX

They waited at Hogsmeade station for the Hogwarts Express to arrive. The evening air was a bit chilly, but wasn't too bad. Ginny stood nervously next to Hagrid, while the five boys were off to the side.

Soon, the light from the train appeared, and it slowed to a stop. The car doors opened and students spilled out.

"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" Hagrid called out. A few minutes later, Harry found himself nearly being knocked over by Hermione, who'd practically tackled him.

"What happened!" she cried.

"Let go of the poor bloke, Hermione, he's turning a fantastic puce color," Alex said. Harry looked at his other friend and saw that she had grown quite a bit over the summer, standing nearly half a head above him.

"Nice to see you too Alex," Harry gasped when Hermione eventually let go. Hermione looked at Ron, but made no move to hug him. Alex was looking about, and then, she reached into the crowd, and yanked Neville out of the throng. "Hey Nev." Harry greeted.

"Hi Harry," the boy said smiling.

"Come on, we need to get going now," Hermione said, pulling Harry along. The group melted into the crowd and came upon the carriages that would take them up to the school. Harry halted at the sight of the creatures that pulled them.

"What are those?" he asked.

"What are what?" Alex looked at him.

"The things pulling the carriages, don't you see them?"

"I can see them," Neville said. The others looked at him, not comprehending the reason as to why only Harry and Neville could see these bizarre creatures.

"What about you, Hermione, Ron? Do you see those things?" Harry asked.

"I don't see anything, Harry," Hermione told him.

"Same here," Ron added. Harry frowned and cautiously approached the strange creatures. One turned its head and gazed at Harry. He reached out slowly, and stroked its muzzle. It nickered and leaned into his touch, not at all minding his scent. He smiled a little.

"Come on Harry," Hermione called to him from inside the carriage. He nodded and hopped inside.

XxXxXxX

The Sorting Hat sang a new song this year, this one speaking of standing by your fellow students, no matter who they may be. Harry hadn't been paying much attention, but did pay attention to the Sorting itself. He clapped whenever a new student was sent to Ravenclaw.

"Lovegood, Luna," Professor McGonagall spoke. A girl with blonde hair, and dreamy pale eyes seemed to glide forward. She sat down upon the stool, and after only a short moment, the Hat shouted out its decree.

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table erupted into applause as she made her way down towards the table. She took a seat between Hermione and Alex, right across from Harry. The girls took a moment to welcome her before returning their attention to the Sorting.

A while later, Ginny was called.

"Weasley, Ginevra."

Ginny nervously sat upon the stool, twiddling her fingers as she waited. The Hat was taking a much longer time deciding on where to place Ginny, than any of the other first years. Harry glanced at the Gryffindor table, at the four other Weasleys, and all four of them were watching their one and only sister in anticipation. Then, the hat's brim opened and gave its judgment.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Not one Slytherin clapped for Ginny. Instead, they gawked at her as if she were some strange animal at the circus. As she walked towards the table slowly, only two hands clapped for her. The twins did their best, hoping to keep her cheered up for a bit. Ginny sat at one end, ignoring the others around her as she took a seat.

Professor McGonagall regained her bearings, and continued on, Sorting three more children before it was over, not that anyone noticed.

Harry had lost his appetite, the moment he'd seen Ron's expression when the Sorting Hat placed Ginny in Slytherin. Like the year before, Harry could see that once again, Ron was being controlled by his own expectations. But it was much worse this time, his own _sister_had been Sorted into Slytherin. Harry knew right then and there, that Ginny would be in for a rough first year.

Dumbledore rose from his seat once McGonagall had taken the Sorting Hat away. His eyes twinkled merrily in the candle light, as he beamed at the students.

"To all of you who are new here, I welcome you. And to those of you who are returning, welcome back," he said before sitting down.

The feast began and Harry served himself but didn't make an effort into eating it.

"Come on Harry, you should eat something," Hermione urged him as she buttered a roll and placed it on his plate.

"'M not hungry," he muttered.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked him. "By now you'd be halfway through your third portion."

"It's nothing," Harry told her, roughly cutting up a slice of rare done steak before viciously stabbing the pieces with his fork. He growled in annoyance, wanting to just get up and leave. 'I'm not normally this violent during the new moon of all things.' He thought nervously. His eyes fell closed slightly as he fell into meditation.

It took a little longer than normal to find his Wolf, but when he did, it wasn't too happy either. After sitting with it for a moment, he realized that his pack had already extended itself to Ginny, and Ron was being an idiot once more.

"Harry! Harry!" Hermione was shaking him violently. He blinked and realized that everyone was getting up.

"Huh? What?"

"The feast's over Harry," Alex told him. Harry jumped up and joined the mass of Ravenclaw students heading up to the Tower. Penelope was leading the first years up at the front, with everyone else trailing behind. Harry hadn't noticed just how short some of the first years were.

'Were we that short last year?' He thought. He'd been in such a catatonic state much of the summer he hadn't even noticed if he'd gotten any taller. Though some of Dudley's jeans did fit just a little better in terms of length.

The Common Room looked exactly as it did last year, and Harry joined his fellow roommates in climbing the short flight of stairs up to their dorm. He shut the door behind him and fell into his bed, nearly crushing Mikan under his weight.

"Sorry," he muttered as he kicked off his shoes and curled up into a ball to sleep. He hadn't even bothered to change.

**Translations:**

_**Katta. – I win.**_

_**Honto? – Really?**_

_**Saa? Kachi kai? – So? Did you win?**_

_**Oshiete, Arashi-chan. – Tell me, Arashi.**_

_**Nani? Kikoenai. – What? I can't hear you.**_

_**Boku to itta, Sensei o katta, ojii-chan – I said, you won, grandpa.**_

_**Ojii-chan? Damare kouzo. – Grandpa? Shut up brat.**_

_**Shitsureishimashita – Excuse me (lit. I have committed a rude act)**_

_**Jaa, aniki – See you, big bro. **_

_**A note on "-chan":**__** The suffix "-chan" is typically used for either small children, or among girls. The fact that Jon is using this term attached to Harry's Japanese name, is insulting. Harry is neither a small child, nor a girl.**_

_**A note on "kai":**__**"Kai" is the basically the question mark in the question, but "kai" is only used by males. The general question mark is "ka". The female equivalent is "no".**_

_**A note on "aniki":**__**There are several words when referring to family members. In a conversation with someone, when speaking about one's own older brother, one would use the word "ani". For someone else's older brother, it is "onii-san". Often times, when addressing one's own sibling, "onii-san", or the more affectionate, "onii-chan" is used. In a far more formal setting (i.e. old school nobility type) the word "aniue" or "onii-sama" is used. The word "aniki" is somewhere between "onii-san" and "aniue". It's also referred to a superior member of a gang in more popular culture and anime.**_

**I had a little too much fun with Petunia's character in this chapter. I don't know why, but I could totally see her burning Vernon's crap. Rather than the clichéd throwing all of his crap out the bedroom window, I went with burning it! MWAHAHAHA!**

**Okay, rant over. Please review! It'll make me immensely happy. You know you wanna press the shiny new green and white button down there. And really, who doesn't like shiny things? I sure do, I love shiny things. But then again, I'm a girl, and they like shiny things in generally. Especially gold and diamonds.**

**Hmm, no more candy for me…**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I SHALL LOVE YOU FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER…**


	12. 2:3 :: The Howling

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 12: The Howling

Harry sat at the Ravenclaw table, reading one of the Lockhart books rather reluctantly. He'd picked up the book on werewolves just to see what Lockhart had to say about the subject. It took simply glancing at the first chapter for him to realize just what the book was about.

Hermione joined him, serving herself some porridge and began to dig into it when Harry slammed the book shut. Hermione started and glared at his treatment of the book.

"What's wrong Harry?" she asked him.

"Nothing," he replied. Harry violently shoved the book into his bag before returning to his food. Professor Flitwick handed them both their schedules and Harry groaned.

"What?" Hermione looked at him curiously. Harry showed her the square of parchment. There at the very top, listed right next to "DADA" was what made Harry groan. "Prof. Lockhart" was printed neatly, and just below that were the words "Monday" and "Friday."

"Why didn't you mention that narcissist was going to be teaching Defense this year?" he asked her.

"You never asked me," Hermione answered. "Besides, Professor Dumbledore introduced him to the school last night, weren't you paying attention?"

"No," Harry told her in a somewhat whiny voice. "I wasn't paying attention at the time." Harry went on. Hermione only shrugged in a "serves-you-right" kind of way and went back to eating.

Harry looked over his schedule and found the rest of it to his satisfaction, not really minding that he had History of Magic after lunch. At least he'd get to sleep after Potions today.

Alex eventually appeared, the first year, Luna Lovegood trailing after her.

"Good morning all," she greeted them in a disgustingly chipper voice.

"There's nothing good about it," Harry mumbled. He picked up his goblet of pumpkin juice and gave it a quick whiff. Finding nothing wrong with it, he drank it down. "Let's get Potions over with, shall we?"

"Wait up Harry," Hermione finished her last bite of porridge and hurried after him. Alex wrapped two slices of toast in a napkin and quickly followed. She paused to wave to Luna before leaving the Great Hall.

XxXxXxX

Professor Snape was his usual self when he entered his class room. It was only Ravenclaws and Gryffindors today. When he'd been given his schedule he'd wanted to cry with relief to see that for once Dumbledore had gotten _something _right. But that's where it ended. The other four lower years, the Gryffindors and Slytherins had been paired together.

"We will begin with a short review of what you should have retained at the end of last year," Severus murmured. Harry looked at the Gryffindors, and several of them, including Neville were looking horrified at the thought. "POTTER!"

"Yes sir?" Harry replied, not at all looking like his eyes had just been wandering around the room. Severus' lip twitched, and he launched into a question. Harry answered the question, and the Potions Master moved on.

XxXxXxX

Harry and Alex sat at the back of the class, while Hermione busied herself with arranging her quill, ink, and parchment on her desk, ready for notes. The room was filled with chatter while they waited for Lockhart to appear.

"What in blue blazes are you doing Harry?" Alex asked.

"Hiding," Harry answered. He had piled all of the books on his desk so that he could no longer see over it. Alex shook her head. Just then the door opened, and Lockhart swept in. He came to a halt at the front of the class. Harry rolled his eyes, Snape's daily entrance was much better than that. For one thing, the man's lilac colored robes didn't billow quite so ominously, nor did he have the same imposing presence the other man possessed. It may have had something to do with the fact that he was smiling. An occupation Snape never indulged in.

Lockhart took a step forward, picking up one of Mandy's books and held it up beside his face.

"Me," he began. Harry rolled his eyes. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League."

"Wonder what you have to do to be an actual member," Alex whispered.

"Actually fight the dark forces?" Harry suggested. Alex grinned.

"And five time winner of _Witch Weekly's_ Most-Charming Smile Award."

"That publication's worse than _The Quibbler_," Alex muttered. Harry wasn't going to ask.

"Now, Dumbledore has asked me to come here to teach you all to defend yourselves against the vile creatures of the Dark if you ever need to. But first, how about a little quiz."

Lockhart began passing a several pages thick packet of papers to everyone. When Harry received his, he looked at it and felt the need to burn it. He grinned and clicked his pen.

Nearly half an hour later, all the tests were collected. Lockhart thumbed through them, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

"Really, have any of you read my books?" he wondered. He paused when he came to one. "Harry, Harry Potter!" He called.

"What?" Harry answered.

"What is this gibberish you've written in?" Lockhart asked.

"It's called Japanese, use a translation charm if you have to," Harry replied.

"Do you mind translating your first response for us please?" Lockhart asked, handing the papers back to the boy. Harry shrugged.

_"Giruderoi Rokkuhato no ha ga itai o miru,"_ Harry said. "It means: Gilderoy Lockhart's teeth are painful to look at."

Several people giggled around the room. Gilderoy didn't even seem to notice the insult and snatched Harry's paper back. Hermione spun around to level a glare at him.

"Right, we should be moving on now," Lockhart said uncomfortably. "Now, can anyone tell me what is in this cage?" Lockhart asked, gesturing to the covered cage. The cage trembled. No one spoke. "Now, prepare yourselves!" He declared, whipping the drape from the cage. Within it were many little blue winged creatures. Near the front Michael snorted.

"Cornish pixies?"

"Now, now, Mr. Corner, they can be devilish blighters," Lockhart said seriously.

"Don't tell me he's –!"

Harry was cut off when Lockhart opened the cage. Chaos ensued. The pixies flitted about, picking up ink bottles and chucking them everywhere. The rest of the class ducked beneath their desks or ran for the door.

"Come now, round them up children! They're just pixies!" Lockhart called. No one tried to do anything but fend them off. A few attempted to pick Alex up by her robes, but changed their mind when they caught Harry's scent. Those few flew back into the cage and stayed there.

"Very good Harry, 5 points to Ravenclaw!" Lockhart cheered. The blonde man raised his wand now. "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"

The spell did nothing. If anything at all, it seemed to encourage the pixies further. One snatched his wand away and tossed it out the window.

The bell rang, and the Ravenclaws ran for the door. Harry fended off two pixies that tried to take a pair of scissors to Hermione's hair. With a growl and a bark, they all halted and dove back into the cage.

"That was the worst lesson ever!" Alex declared. "Even Quirrell could have done better. That man had no idea what he was doing!"

"Nonsense Alex, he was just trying to give us a little hands on experience," Hermione said.

"He had no clue as to what to do Hermione. Surely you heard that 'spell' he used. It wasn't even a real one!"

"Yes, but Harry managed to get them back into the cage, didn't you Harry?" Hermione turned but the boy was gone. Looking about, it was as if he'd disappeared from thin air. She shrugged and continued on, arguing with Alex. Harry hopped down from the alcove he'd been hiding in.

XxXxXxX

Harry blinked. He had the distinct feeling of being watched. Looking around, he spotted a small first year at the foot of the staircase he stood on. The boy appeared to be holding a Muggle camera in his hand. The boy approached slowly, as if afraid Harry would bolt away if he moved too quickly.

"Y-you're Harry Potter, aren't you?" the boy asked. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, that's me," Harry told him.

"Oh! I-I'm Colin Creevey! I'm in Gryffindor," he said. Harry saw the red and gold badge on the boy's robes. "Um, would it – would it be alright if – if I took a picture of you?" He asked.

"Uh," Harry didn't know how to respond.

"Go on Harry, it's not like he'd sell it to the _Prophet_ or something," Alex nudged him.

"You see, my dad's a milkman, and we've read all about you, and, um, I just want to prove that I've really met you," Colin said breathlessly. He gave Harry an imploring look. "And maybe, one of your friends could take the picture, so I can be in it too, then, could you sign it, please?"

Harry sighed. He'd spent all of last year ignoring people's questions of if he remembered what Voldemort looked like. Now, he was dealing with _this_!

"Be nice to him Harry, it won't hurt," Hermione told him.

"Okay Colin," Harry said. Colin's face lit up. Hermione stepped around Harry and took the camera from Colin's hands.

"I'll take the picture for you," she said. Colin bounced up the steps and stood beside Harry. The boy was grinning widely, while Harry managed a small smile. Hermione peered through the lens before her eyes appeared again. "Harry, move your hair out of your face." She ordered.

"All right," he sighed. Harry brushed his fringe out of his face and tucked it behind his ears. He lowered his hand, and Hermione took the picture, the flash going off. Hermione handed the camera back to Colin.

"It's curious, how does the camera work here," she murmured, examining the camera closely.

"Um, I don't really know," Colin said.

"This is interesting," Hermione muttered to herself.

"'Mione," Alex and Harry grabbed the girl by the back of her robes.

"What?"

"You can think about it later, right now, we have to get to class," Alex said. They then forcefully dragged the girl away.

"Thank you Harry!" Colin waved to them.

XxXxXxX

"So Harry, what d'you think of Colin?" Alex asked him during History of Magic.

"Different," Harry grunted. He felt exhausted even though it was only the second class of the entire school year.

"I think he's rather nice," Hermione added, all the while, her quill shot across her parchment, taking notes without even paying attention to what she was writing.

"I hope he never meets Ginny though," Harry said.

"Why's that?"

"They might try and start some sort of fanclub," Harry told them.

"Ginny? You mean Ron's younger sister?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, she was put into Slytherin, the poor girl," Hermione said sympathetically.

"Ron didn't look too happy about it," Harry muttered.

"It's Ron, what do you think he'd do? I'd be more worried if he started going around hugging random Slytherins. We'd be fucked if that were the case," Alex said.

"Harry, have you read any of the Lockhart books?" Hermione asked him, trying not-so-subtly to change the subject.

"Not really. I tried reading _Wanderings with Werewolves_ and couldn't even get through the first chapter," Harry answered. "Hardly any of it has anything to do with werewolves!"

"I bet Hermione's got every single book committed to memory by now," Alex snickered.

"I suppose you haven't even opened one of those books yet Alexandria," Hermione snapped.

"You really believe half of the crap he's written?" Alex asked her incredulously. "Aren't you supposed to be in Ravenclaw?" Hermione huffed.

"You may think its rubbish, but he's done so many great things,"

"Hermione, really, the man's barely even thirty; do you really think he could have accomplished all of that in such a short amount of time?" Harry asked her. "I personally, think he's a complete fraud. Probably doesn't know the first thing about Defense."

XxXxXxX

Harry was approached the next day by Lockhart. The man had caught him while he was on his way up to Transfiguration after Charms.

"Harry, Harry, Harry," he said, giving Harry a bright smile that left him seeing spots. "I hear you've been giving out signed photographs." He said. Lockhart threw an arm around Harry's shoulders. He appeared oblivious to Harry's discomfort.

"What? You mean Colin? I was just humoring him," Harry replied, finally managing to slip out of the man's grasp. "Now, if you'll excuse me Professor, I have to get to class."

Harry ran off before Lockhart could stop him, practically leaping up the steps.

XxXxXxX

"Ah, Mr. Potter, how kind of you to come to class," McGonagall admonished him when he stepped inside.

"I'm sorry Professor, I was held up by Professor Lockhart," Harry explained.

"I see, very well then."

McGonagall turned her attention back to the lesson as Harry slipped into the only empty seat beside Anthony. He quickly pulled out his Transfiguration notebook and pen and began scrawling down notes, occasionally zoning out and writing random kanji in the margins for practice.

"Psst, Harry, we're supposed to be practicing," Anthony hissed to him.

"Sorry Anthony," Harry said quickly, slipping his wand from its place up his sleeve. He glanced down at his notes for the incantation and wand movements. He practiced each individually before attempting to turn his rat into a goblet. It turned into a simple wooden cup.

"Bad luck mate, maybe you'll get it on the next try," Anthony said before trying on his own rat. McGonagall walked by and inspected their attempts. Anthony's goblet still had fur. She frowned.

"A decent attempt Mr. Potter, get another rat and try again," she ordered. He nodded and collected one from the cage at the front of the room.

He cleared his throat and pushed up the sleeves of his robes before trying again. This time, it was made of pure silver with sapphire gems around the rim. He blinked and carefully pushed it further away with his wand, carefully not to let Anthony see.

From across the room, Hermione's brows furrowed in thought. Harry's behavior had suddenly changed, as if he were handling something potentially dangerous. Her own goblet was copper. Alex's wouldn't lose the tail and she prodded it with her wand in an attempt at making it go away.

"Alex did you see that?" Hermione asked her.

"See what?" the girl looked up and dropped her wand on the desk.

"Harry, it's like he's afraid of his goblet," she said.

"Maybe the teeth are still on it," Alex suggested, sniggering into her hand. The bell rang and everyone packed up.

"Leave your work on the desk, I will collect it myself," McGonagall called over the noise. She glanced over at Harry and he gave the stern woman a grateful smile. She nodded back and he walked out, standing between Alex and Hermione.

XxXxXxX

A week later, the Ravenclaw Quidditch team was gathered out on the pitch, along with ten other students looking to try out.

"Right, I'm your new captain, Richard O'Neill. I play the position of keeper. This is the rest of the team. Chang and Davies play chaser, Andrews and Andrews are our beaters. And Potter, our seeker. You're here for either the position of chaser, but if we think you're good enough, you'll be placed on reserve. Our reserve chasers will also have to try out. No offence, but we may find someone better.

"First things first, we're going to check how well you fly, so mount up!"

The ten candidates mounted their brooms. O'Neill whistled and they rose into the air.

"Everyone else, up in the air, we wanna see how you maneuver," he ordered. The rest of the team took to the air and immediately began to zip around the pitch. "One at a time!" He called pointing to a third year boy. "You first!"

The third year started out uneasily, bumping into Harry and Cho before he got his bearings. He moved slowly, and uncertainly. After a few minutes, O'Neill blew the whistle again.

"Next!"

The next one, a small fifth year girl zoomed forward so quickly Harry had to barrel roll to prevent being knocked out of the air. She zigzagged her way between the others, cutting off Rodger's path twice before the whistle was blown.

"Next!"

This time it was a large fifth year boy. Despite his size, he moved well, reading the movements of the team, avoiding cutting anyone off or colliding with anyone. O'Neill nodded to Harry who fell into a steep dive. They pair were about to crash together when the fifth year flew around Harry. Harry pulled up and grinned. The whistle blew and he came to a stop.

"Next!"

The try-outs continued until all ten had taken their turn flying and then later, they went through a passing and throwing routine. Once it was over, O'Neill called everyone to the ground.

"Okay, results will be posted tomorrow in the common room. Thanks guys," O'Neill said. The ten made their way back to the castle while the team convened in the locker room.

"Alright, who do we want for starter chaser?" he asked.

"I say Gregory Fisher, he could fly and throw," Cho said. Rodger nodded in agreement.

"What about you three?" O'Neill asked, nodding to the Robert and James.

"Yeah, he's a good team player," Robert said.

"Potter?"

"I agree."

"Right, Gregory Fisher is our new starter. How about for reserve?"

"That third year, Ian, he can still improve on the reserve team," James said.

"What if he doesn't?" Rodger asked.

"If he doesn't improve, he won't be on the reserve team next year," O'Neill told them. "So, Gregory Fisher and Ian Mitchell. Meeting adjourned, see you at our first official practice on Saturday at nine o'clock sharp," O'Neill said. The team dispersed from the practice and Harry quickly headed for the dungeons.

He approached Snape's office when he heard quiet sniffling. He stopped and searched for the source. The scent was familiar but he couldn't be sure who it was. It screamed of "pack member."

Harry came closer to a small alcove and peered through the darkness.

"G-Ginny?" he whispered. He heard the girl jump. She came closer into the light, scrubbing at her eyes with her sleeve. "Ginny, what's wrong?" Harry asked her.

"Oh Harry," she sobbed, throwing herself at him. Harry patted her on the back awkwardly. "It's just – Percy and Ron are being gits to me, and my Housemates aren't any better." She said.

"Why not talk to Professor Snape about it?" Harry suggested.

"But –,"

"No buts, we'll talk to him right now," Harry said, pulling Ginny to her feet. They walked down the corridor towards Snape's office.

"Why are you down here Harry?" Ginny asked.

"I needed to ask him something that's all, but it can wait until we've got you sorted out," Harry told her.

"Oh, okay," Ginny said quietly. "I really don't want to be a bother about it though."

"There's no bother, you're brothers are just being stupid."

They came to the door to Snape's office and Harry knocked.

"Enter."

He pushed the door open and let Ginny go through first.

"Miss Weasley? What brings you here?" Snape asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh – uh – m-my brothers were making fun of me," she said.

"How so, and who was it?" Severus asked her.

"Um, well – Ron and Percy were saying that I'm not a real Weasley if I'm in Slytherin. Fred and George have tried to cheer me up, but it doesn't work. And everyone else treats me like dirt."

"I see, I will inform Professor McGonagall of this, and I will ensure your housemates remember the first rule of being a Slytherin," Severus told her.

"Thank you sir, that was all I wanted to say," Ginny said before running off.

"So Mr. Potter, what do you intend on doing about his?" he asked.

"I don't know yet sir, maybe knock some sense into Ron I suppose," Harry said.

"I see," Severus pushed the goblet of Wolfsbane towards Harry. "Drink that, quickly. I've taken steps to ensure that it is now the correct dosage."

Harry grabbed the goblet and quickly downed the potion. He shuddered.

"Have a good night Mr. Potter," Severus said. Harry nodded and left the man's office. Before the door shut, Mikan slipped through the door.

"Good evening," Snape greeted the cat with a nod. Mikan hopped up onto his desk and watched him grade essays. She was quickly becoming a distraction by pawing at the feathered end of the quill. Severus gave up and tickled her nose with the quill. Mikan mewed and flicked her tail when the feather escaped her grasp again.

"If you are going to continue to be a distraction, I will be forced to send you out," Severus said. Mikan tilted her head to the side, teal green eyes boring into him. Severus had a distinct feeling that the cat knew exactly what he'd just said. Mikan mewed again and jumped from the desk onto his lap and curled up to sleep. Severus sighed, scratching her behind the ears before going to back to his work.

XxXxXxX

Harry leapt up the staircases to the infirmary. If he didn't get to his room before the moon fully rose, he would be in trouble. Once he reached the floor the Hospital Wing was on he broke into a full run.

Madame Pomfrey stood by the door to his room, impatient. Her foot tapping to a nonexistent beat. He burst through the door of the infirmary, his robes slipping from his shoulders, tie loose, and the shirt unbuttoned halfway.

"Sorry!" he called as he dove into the room, kicking off his shoes in the process.

Poppy sighed and shut the door, activating the wards that kept Harry inside with a swish of her wand.

Harry only had a few more seconds to spare to get his remaining clothes off. He was just kicking his trousers off when the transformation took over him.

XxXxXxX

Harry was starving the next day. He hadn't had time to eat dinner the night before so he gratefully accepted the tray from Poppy.

"Is there any reason you were late getting here last night Mr. Potter?" she asked him as he ate.

"I couldn't get out of attending the Quidditch team try-outs," he explained, stuffing a large bite of pancakes into his mouth. "I tried to but O'Neill was adamant about it."

"I see. How did the potion work last night?"

"No scratches or bites," Harry reported, pushing up the sleeve of his pajamas. Poppy inspected both arms before nodding her satisfaction. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go ahead and go back to class." Harry said. Poppy looked aghast at the thought.

"Absolutely not Mr. Potter! You will remain here until I say you can leave!"

"But, I have a job to do for Professor Snape," Harry protested. "It's important."

"Any task Professor Snape has set for you can wait. Do not make me tie you to your bed," Poppy said before stalking back to her office. Harry groaned and finished his breakfast.

XxXxXxX

Lunch approached and a seventh year came in, the front of his robes stained in a potion. Harry took the opportunity to sneak out of the Hospital Wing while Madame Pomfrey saw to the other student.

As soon as he'd placed a few floors between himself and the over-bearing Healer, he set out to find Ron.

It didn't take long as the red-head was headed for the Great Hall for lunch along with the rest of the Gryffindor boys.

"Ron!" Harry called to him. The boy stopped and waited for Harry to catch up.

"What is it Harry?" Ron asked. Harry grabbed the boy by the collar and pushed him up against the nearest wall. "Bloody hell Harry! What's gotten into you?"

"I could say the same for you."

Ron's feet dangled two feet from the ground.

"Who the hell do you think you are, treating your sister the way you are?" Harry growled.

"I don't see how it's any of your business!"

"It is my business when I find her hiding out in the dungeons crying because of you! Your father told you to watch out for her, and this is what you do? Treat her like a pariah? She's your sister, Ron. Your only sister!"

"You're one to talk," Ron shot back. He found himself further from the floor as Harry lifted him higher.

"I may not know much about real family. But I at least know that treating a younger sister like that is the worst thing you can ever do."

"She's not my sister," Ron said. Harry changed his grip, a hand now wrapped around the other boy's throat.

"Say that again Ron, I dare you."

"Mr. Potter!"

Harry released Ron, allowing him to crumple to the floor. He turned to see Snape approaching, an upset Percy, and a smug pair of twins following.

"Sir."

"I will take it from here Mr. Potter; get back to the Infirmary before Madame Pomfrey finds you gone."

"Yes sir."

Harry gave Ron one final scathing look before walking off.

"Harry," Fred called.

"We'll take care of Ginny," the twins said at once. "She might be a Slytherin, but she's still our baby sister."

"I'll hold you to it," Harry responded.

Hermione ran off in the opposite direction, ideas swirling in her head.

XxXxXxX

The next morning, the twins sat down at the Ravenclaw table, dragging Ginny with them.

"Good morning!" the pair chorused. "We do hope you're looking forward to this morning's coming entertainment."

"What are you on about?" Alex asked. The twins looked at her, identical grins on their faces.

"You'll see."

"Okay, that's just creepy," Alex muttered. "Like a bloody horror film."

Hermione sat down and proceeded to pull out one of the Lockhart books and dove into it. Luna joined them, sitting beside Ginny. Harry blinked. He'd seen Luna with them a lot, but she rarely seemed to say anything. She always appeared to be lost in her own little world.

Just then the flapping of wings announced the arrival of the daily post. The grins on the twins' faces spread and Alex found she was unable to eat further.

"Mail's here," they announced.

An ancient owl dive bombed from the crowd of birds and landed at the Gryffindor table right in front of Ron.

"It's Errol! He actually made it!" Ginny looked shocked. Meanwhile, Ron was staring at Errol like he carried a horrible disease.

"What's wrong with Ron? He looks like he's going to be sick," Hermione commented, appearing momentarily from behind her book.

"Perhaps it's the gnarls."

Harry turned sharply to look at Luna. It was the first time he'd heard her speak at all. He opened his mouth to say something when he was silenced by an explosion.

_**"—TREAT YOUR SISTER IN SUCH A WAY! I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED WITH YOU RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY! WE TOLD YOU TO WATCH OUT FOR HER, AND YOU DELIBIRATELY DISOBEYED US! OVER WHAT?! A PETTY HOUSE RIVALRY –!"**_

Harry was shocked to realize that it was the sound of Mrs. Weasley's voice. The utensils on the table clattered with the volume of it. Everyone in the Great Hall stared at Ron, and many of the Slytherins were snickering.

_**"—WE DIDN'T RAISE YOU TO BEHAVE LIKE A BIGOTED FOOL! AND YOU! PERCIVAL WEASLEY! WE EXPECTED BETTER FROM YOU! WHERE HAS ALL OF THAT COMMON SENSE OF YOURS GONE?!"**_

Percy's blush was as red as his hair and his glasses sat slightly askew on his nose. Harry had never seen the boy look so flustered before. From further down the table, Penelope's face bore a look that Harry could easily see on Mrs. Weasley's face.

_**"EVEN THE TWINS KNOW BETTER THAN YOU BOTH! AND THAT'S SAYING A LOT –!"**_

"We resent that comment!"

_**"IF WE HEAR FROM PROFESSOR SNAPE AND PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL THAT YOUR BEHAVIOR TOWARDS GINNY HAS NOT IMPROVED, YOU'RE BOTH COMING STRAIGHT HOME!"**_

The silence was deafening. The red envelope from where Mrs. Weasley's voice had come from burst into flames and littered the remainder of Ron's food with ashes.

"So, what did you think?" Fred asked the group.

"That was brilliant! What was that thing?" Harry asked.

"That, Harry, was a Howler," Alex told him.

"A Howler?"

"Yeah, best way to make an impression on your kid in my opinion. Public embarrassment," Alex said. "My brother got one once in his third year. I remember when Mum was recording it. Fucking scary that was. It wasn't even for me, and I still did my best not to make her angry."

"How old is your brother anyway?" Hermione asked. "You've mentioned him before."

"He's twenty-one,"

"He's so much older than you are!" Hermione looked shocked. Alex shrugged.

"So that means you only ever get to see him during the summer?" Harry asked.

"Pretty much, but we still get along."

"We are off to Potions, have a good day all," the twins rose and left the Hall.

"We'd better get to Defense, don't want to be late for another fascinating lecture one how to go blind by looking at a person's teeth," Alex said disdainfully. Harry snorted.

"He should team up with Dumbledore," he commented.

"What do you mean?"

"Dumbledore's eyes sparkle. A lot."

Alex burst into laughter.

"You two should really be more respectful," Hermione chastised them.

"To who? A fraud and a man that left me to wallow within my own mental torment for nearly two months?" Harry asked.

"It's hardly his fault Harry, he has a lot to do," Hermione said.

"Yes well, an eleven year old with Post Traumatic Stress just isn't as important as some of the things the 'Almighty Dumbledore' has to do," Harry responded, sweeping by her. Hermione stared after him in shock.

"What's wrong with Harry lately?" Alex wondered aloud.

"I dunno, but I've a hunch," Hermione whispered.

XxXxXxX

Severus was surprised to see Harry appear at the door of his office.

"Is there anything you needed Mr. Potter?" he asked.

"I don't know sir, I'm not sure if you can really help me," Harry said. Severus indicated the chair on the other side of his desk. Harry collapsed into it and sighed.

"Speak."

"You remember that garden snake right?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, because of him, I was able to meditate so deeply that I can actually communicate with my Wolf," Harry told him. Severus raised a brow. "I don't know what happened, but ever since them I've been – oh, I dunno – more prone to anger and violence."

Severus studied the boy before him. Harry's hair now reached his shoulders, and his fringe fell to his chin. Now that he looked, the boy resembled Lily a little more than James. His eyes were the same shape and color, and the shape of his jaw line and brow ridge were similar. At the moment he couldn't see it because Harry's cheeks still had a bit of roundness to them, but it looked like he also had his mother's high cheek bones.

Really the only way one could tell he was even James Potter's child was the fact that his hair was still a bit of a mess despite the length of it.

Harry sat completely still, waiting for the man to say something. He didn't fidget like most children his age, and Severus wondered about that. Perhaps something he learned with his relatives. Harry didn't slouch like most boys his age were prone to do. He sat up straight, showing confidence. This characteristic came from his martial arts teacher, no doubt.

Finally, Severus decided to say something.

"I honestly am not sure what I can tell you. I have very little experience with what the Ministry considers Dark creatures. You however are different. You are not dark, nor do I suspect you are light. The Headmaster would like to think so, but he's wrong. I can see that much. But I digress.

"Most werewolves never embrace what they are. There are some, Fenrir Greyback for example, who bite humans at will in a sort of twisted revenge. But most hate what they are. You are different from both groups. You have accepted what Fate has given you, and you also use it to your advantage to help others."

"So, basically, you don't know how to help me," Harry said.

"Correct. I do think, however, that this need for violence and anger stems from more of your Wolf showing through during the month. It makes me wonder, are you more human during the full moon without the Wolfsbane potion?"

"I guess we won't know sir, unless we take the time to try and figure it out," Harry said. He stood now. "Thank you for your time sir." Harry stepped out.

XxXxXxX

Harry climbed the steps up to Ravenclaw Tower, feeling more tired than he ever had before. He yawned widely as he reached a landing.

_"Come…come to me…Let me kill you…"_

Harry stiffened, listening for the source of that cold, petrifying voice. He couldn't find it; it was like it was all around him. It was everywhere.

_"I want to rip…to tear you…come to me…"_

And then it was gone.

**Another chapter is complete. I feel like I'm cramming too much into just one chapter to make it of decent length. Do feel that way too, or is it just me? If you agree, please let me know on how I can fix this. Thank you.**

**Random Rant Time! I tend to notice the most random crap ever, and then it sticks with me when I don't want it to. So, on that note, throughout the entire HP series, the first day of classes always started on September 2****nd**** without fail. What if September 2****nd**** happens to be a weekend? Does that mean they still have to go to class? By the way, September 2****nd****, 1992 was a Thursday. Yes, I actually checked.**

**That's all until I come to something else that's somewhat relevant! Buh-bye!**

**Mmm…tacos…**


	13. 2:4 :: Master of Puppets

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 13: Master of Puppets (Dumbledore's Theme)

Harry trudged through the front door of the castle, along with the rest of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

The rain continued to fall outside, drenching everything, and causing the water level of the lake rise dangerously high. Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall had stood in the rain for hours casting spells and charms to keep the students safe.

"It hardly matters that the Slytherins got new brooms, they don't have Harry Potter," O'Neill said. "The only reason Malfoy even made the team was because his father had to bribe them to get his son on the team."

The seven wandered up to the Tower, somehow avoiding being seen by Filch.

Harry dove into the shower as quickly as possible, he didn't mind having to get a little dirty, but being completely plastered in mud was _not_ his idea of fun.

After a few more minutes, he came down to the common room, his book bag in one hand. Alex and Hermione sat at the table closest to the fire and sank down into a chair and sighed.

"Practice rough today?" Alex asked.

"Yeah. Colin followed me out there. O'Neill thought he was a spy or something so I forced him to leave," Harry said.

"Creepy stalker kid? Ew," Alex exaggerated a shudder.

"He's not too bad, but a bit too much of a chatterbox in my opinion," Harry said.

"Looking forward to Halloween?" Alex asked. Harry shrugged. "Oh, right, sorry." She murmured.

"It's okay, you didn't mean anything by it," Harry said pulling _Wanderings with Werewolves_ out of his bag. "Might as well get this ridiculous assignment out of the way."

XxXxXxX

Halloween arrived, and Harry was tempted to just lie in bed all day as it was the weekend. Alex and Hermione wouldn't hear of it.

They tugged at his ankles that stuck out from under the covers, but he held onto two bed posts at his end of the bed. The other boys in the dorm simply laughed at it, watching the two girls turn red and huff and puff with the effort.

"Fine Harry, be that way," Hermione snapped, stalking out of the room.

"She's got a point mate, might as well get up," Alex suggested before following the other girl out. Harry sighed and curled up onto his side and drifted off to sleep.

He woke again when his blankets were ripped from him. He sat up to find Hermione looking ready to yell his ear off.

"Honestly Harry, this is no way to honor the death of your family," she said.

"Then how?" he demanded, jumping out of bed. "How do I do that Hermione? Tell me, please. I would love to know how to do even that. But I don't."

Hermione looked shocked at Harry's outburst. She'd never thought of it that way.

"Please Hermione, what do I do or say? Because I honestly have no idea."

If she didn't know Harry so well, she would have thought he was about to cry, but the only indication of anything close to that was the slight quiver in his voice. Hermione felt guilt well up in her.

"Oh, Harry! I'm so sorry!" she cried, throwing her arms around him. "I didn't mean to sound so callous, but I had no idea."

"Its okay 'Mione, besides, it's not my style to mope in bed all day," Harry told her. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek against the top of her head.

"We'll help you Harry, all of us will. We're your friends, we won't abandon you," Hermione said.

'You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what I was.' Harry thought, subconsciously tightening his grip on her.

"Harry, if you come down to the Common Room, Alex and I will help you," she suggested.

"Yeah, okay, I'll meet you down there," Harry said distractedly as he gathered some clothing and headed to the bathroom.

XxXxXxX

Ginny sat in her bed, the curtains drawn to stave off anyone that wanted to bother her. She dipped her quill into the inkpot and quickly wrote across the page of her diary, watching the ink disappear from the paper. A moment later, a response appeared.

_"They don't understand you. You must show them you are stronger."_

Ginny dipped her quill and let the nib glide across the page, "what do I do?" she wrote.

_"You trust me, don't you Ginevra?"_

"Yes, of course I do Tom."

_"Good girl. You must –."_

Ginny shut the diary closed when the door to the dorm room opened. She put the stopper back on the ink pot and shoved everything under her pillow.

"Hey! Get up Weasel!" a female voice ordered. Ginny pulled the curtains open to reveal one of her class mates.

"What?" she snapped.

"Don't talk to me like that you little blood-traitor," the other girl said, raising her hand to slap Ginny. Ginny's cheek stung, but she made no sign of pain. Ginny said nothing to the girl. "You're just no fun." The girl spun around and left.

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed her cheek. She opened up the diary and the writing that had been there when she closed it returned.

_"You must go to the first floor girl's lavatory. On one the taps at the sinks, a snake is carved into it. Bring me with you. But first, kill the school roosters."_

XxXxXxX

"Are you all right Ginny? You look a little pale," Hermione said. Ginny started, and looked at the other girl. "And what happened to your cheek?"

"Oh, I'm fine Hermione. Nothing to worry about," Ginny said taking a step back from the girl only to bump into someone. She looked up to see Harry giving her a worried look.

"Perhaps you should to up to the Hospital Wing Ginny, a little Pepper-Up potion might help," he suggested. "And a bruising salve for your cheek."

"I don't know what you mean Harry," she said blushing.

"You're pale as death Ginny," Alex told her. The taller girl took her hand. "Come on, to Madame Pomfrey we go."

Ginny struggled to pull her arm free. "Really, I'm fine," she insisted. Alex released her and gave Ginny a strange look. The red-haired girl ran off, dodging passed Harry.

"She's hiding something," Harry said.

"How can you tell?" Hermione asked.

"Just a feeling," he said. "I get the feeling something's going to happen, and she'll be right in the center of it all."

XxXxXxX

Ginny pushed the door open, and looked about the bathroom. No one was inside, not even the ghost that haunted it. The bathroom looked a little run down from disuse. Even when Myrtle wasn't weeping and flooding it, no one dared come in here. She quickly checked all of the taps at the sinks until she found the one she was looking for. Opening her diary, she scribbled into it.

"I'm here, now what?"

_"Have you written the message on the wall?"_

"Yes."

_"Good."_

Ginny felt something invade her mind, and the diary fell to the floor. From her lips, a steady hiss escaped.

XxXxXxX

Harry was enjoying the Halloween Feast, eating anything that was within sight. He was currently ripping up a chicken leg, a small stack of bones already filling up his plate.

"Really Harry, slow down or else you'll be sick," Hermione admonished him. Harry swallowed his mouthful of food and picked up the goblet of pumpkin juice. He downed it in one gulp before freezing up.

"Shit," he cursed.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked.

"It was laced again," Harry said.

"Like last year?"

"Yeah, and I just drank all of it without even thinking," said Harry. "Well, if I suddenly want to go off and do something stupid, you'll know it's this thing I just drank."

The Feast continued on and Harry basically ignored the fact that there was an unknown substance making its way into his bloodstream. Harry was in the middle of enjoying a large bowl of chocolate and strawberry ice cream when he heard it again.

_"So…hungry…kill…kill…"_

The voice was moving away from the Great Hall now, but Harry still couldn't figure out where it was coming from.

_"I smell blood…BLOOD!"_

Harry impulsively stood up, the two girls giving him a strange look.

"Do you hear that?" he asked,

"Hear what?" Alex asked.

"A voice, I can't tell where it's coming from. Almost like it's inside the walls. I can't be sure. Surely you heard it."

The two girls looked at each other.

"We didn't hear a thing Harry," Hermione said.

"Is it like those things only you and Neville can see that pull the carriages?" Alex said. Harry looked over at the boy, but he was absolutely oblivious to that cold murderous voice.

"No. I think I'm the only one that can hear it," he said at last.

"A voice only Harry can hear, that's odd," Hermione mused. Dumbledore rose from his seat and looked over the hall. Harry sat down quickly.

"I do hope it has been a good Halloween for you all, now, off to bed I think," Dumbledore said. The students rose from their seats and headed out the door.

They trudged through the corridors, but came to a halt before a wall that seemed to gleam. Written on the wall between two windows were words in bright red.

THE CHAMER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN

OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

"What is that hanging underneath?" Terry asked at the front of the crowd. Harry stepped forward and realized with horror what it was.

"It's Mrs. Norris," he said. Draco Malfoy pushed his way to the front of the crowd now.

"Enemies of the heir beware? You'll be next you little mudbloods," he snarled before stalking away, Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. There was a bit of a ruckus and Filch appeared, letting out a choked sob at the sight of his cat.

"What have you done to her?!" Filch demanded. He rounded on Harry, who happened to be standing nearest. "Answer me!"

Harry said nothing. Filch growled and approached Harry, hands raised in a position to grab the boy by the shoulders.

"Argus!"

The man halted at the sound of Dumbledore's voice.

"H-Headmaster," Filch stumbled over his words. The aged man came forward along with McGonagall. Dumbledore plucked Mrs. Norris rigid body from the torch bracket.

"Argus, please come with me, you too Mr. Potter. Prefects, please escort your houses back to your dormitories," Dumbledore ordered. There was much mumbling and muttering from the students, but they complied, leaving Harry alone with the staff members.

"I believe my office is nearest, Headmaster. Feel free to use it if you wish," Lockhart volunteered, beaming his usual smile.

"Thank you Gilderoy," Dumbledore said gravely. With a swirl of his dark purple robes, he led them up the stairs to the man's office.

There was a great deal of movement as the Lockharts in all the portraits ducked for cover when the door opened. Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and moved out of the way, but quickly joined in the examining of Mrs. Norris' body.

Filch stood in a corner, blubbering.

"She is not dead, Argus," Dumbledore announced. The sniffling stopped.

"She isn't? But – sir, she's not moving, or breathing," Filch told him.

"I am aware Argus. She is simply petrified."

Harry stood in a shadowy corner beside Snape, unsure of what to do. He looked up at the dark man. Snape made eye contact with him for a second. He bent over to speak to Harry quietly.

"What is it Potter?" he asked him.

"There was a voice. Only I could hear it," said Harry, feeling nervous.

"You are certain?"

"Yes, it sounded very much like hissing, sir."

"I see. Do not tell a soul," Severus ordered the boy. Harry nodded.

"He did it!" Filch roared, pointing at Harry. Severus placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I highly doubt a mere second year is capable of such magic. However studious he may be, the library would not have any information on such a thing, restricted or otherwise," Severus said.

"I couldn't have done it anyway, I was at the Feast. You can ask my housemates if you want, they'll tell you," Harry said.

"I clearly recall seeing Mr. Potter at the Feast from the moment it started until the students were dismissed," McGonagall said.

"What about my cat? She's been Petrified!" Filch butted in.

"Do not worry Argus, she can be cured. I believe Professor Sprout has recently procured a batch of mandrakes. Once they've reached full maturity, a potion can be made to restore her."

"I can do it," Lockhart said, beaming. "I'm certain I've done it so many times I could make a Restorative Draught in my sleep."

Several of the Lockharts in the portraits were nodding in agreement with him.

"I believe I am the Potions Master at this school, Lockhart," Severus growled. A somewhat awkward silence fell over the room.

"You may go Mr. Potter, Severus, please escort him to Ravenclaw Tower," said Dumbledore. Snape nodded and nudged Harry into movement.

Once they were out of earshot of the room, Snape spoke, "Remember Potter, do not tell anyone. Not even your friends."

"You think it's a snake, don't you sir," Harry asked.

"It is a highly possible, considering no one else seemed to hear this voice."

"What's so bad about this ability sir? If I may ask?"

"Parseltongue is an ability that is said to originate with Salazar Slytherin. He garnered the reputation of being evil through his want to keep the school more selective with the students that are admitted. He wished to keep the learning of magic among all-magic families only.

"Of course no one knows for sure if this is really the truth, there are no records of that time period that say otherwise either." Snape explained.

"But what's this Chamber of Secrets?"

"I imagine some sort of sanctuary within the school that Slytherin built for himself, though what is in it that could Petrify a living being, I cannot be certain," Snape paused, "though, how you got this ability is beyond me. The Potter family has been sorted into Gryffindor for so long that no one knows if anyone ever ended up in a house besides Gryffindor."

"Sounds like the Malfoys," Harry muttered. "Sir, the Hat last year said I would do well in any of the houses, but Slytherin especially. Is it because I can speak Parseltongue that it thought that?"

Snape halted.

"You were going to be Sorted into Slytherin?"

"Yes, I told the hat that I didn't want to have to live with Draco Malfoy in such close quarters for his safety, and I refused to be placed in Gryffindor. Ravenclaw was the next best option," Harry explained to him. "I like it there, no one really cares that I'm famous, they got over that fairly quickly."

"I see, I fear you must also keep this to yourself. There's no need to for any more suspicion to fall on you," Snape said as they approached the door to Ravenclaw Tower. "Good night Mr. Potter."

Snape left Harry at the door. He turned towards the door knocker and waited for it to give a riddle.

Harry stood for a moment, thinking before giving the answer and stepping through the door.

Alex and Hermione were waiting for him to get back.

"What's going on with Filch's cat?" Alex asked him immediately. Harry sighed and sat down. After a deep breath he told them everything he'd heard.

"Why would Professor Dumbledore even need you there? All of Ravenclaw can say you were at the Feast, and so can several others. It's not like you're a suspect," Hermione said. Her brow was knitted together in thought.

"I've no idea. I think – no, that can't be right…"

"What is it Harry?" Alex asked him.

"I think – I think Dumbledore _wants_ me to know what's going on. I think he's baiting me."

"Baiting you? Into doing what?"

"He wants me to be the one that figures it out. That's the only thing I can think of."

"To become the very thing you yourself do not wish to be," a wispy voice spoke. The trio turned to see Luna Lovegood sitting at a table in a darkened corner.

"Luna, what are you still doing up?" Hermione asked.

"What do you mean by that Luna? Become what I don't want to be," Harry asked her.

"The Chess Master fights for control over the pieces as they rebel. The pawns follow the King, but the King will not yield to the Master's orders," Luna whispered.

"Do either of you get what she's trying to say?" Alex asked.

"Not completely, but I have a bit of an idea," Harry said. He turned to Luna now. "Do you mean that this is all just a game to Dumbledore? He cares nothing for the lives of those that look to him for help so long as he gets some benefit from it?"

"Yes."

Hermione gasped.

"The potion! The one that your drinks are laced with!"

It all clicked into place.

"He's the one. He's responsible for what happened last year and possibly what's going on now," Harry murmured.

"What do we do now?" Alex asked.

"We're just a bunch of kids. No one would ever believe us. For now, we have to act as if we don't know anything about this," Harry said. "I'll speak to Professor Snape about the potion that Dumbledore has been slipping me. Now, let's just try and get some sleep. It's been a long day."

With that, the four Ravenclaws climbed the stairs up to their dormitories.

XxXxXxX

Ginny made her way slowly up to the Great Hall for breakfast. It'd been nearly a week since the attack on Mrs. Norris, and it was really the only thing the entire school seemed to be talking about.

She barely noticed when she walked right into Luna.

"Sorry," she mumbled before continuing on. Luna's protuberant eyes stared after her.

'She's on the wrong side of the board.'

XxXxXxX

Harry went to the library looking for Hermione; she'd been spending even more time in there than usual. He passed by Ron who was muttering over his History of Magic homework and walked between the shelves.

Hermione groaned in frustration and whirled around, walking right into Harry.

"Oh, sorry Harry," she mumbled.

"No problem. What's eating you?"

"All of the copies _Hogwarts, A History_ have been checked out," she said.

"What, you want to look up this Chamber of Secrets up too?" he asked her.

"Of course. I would have brought my copy with me, but all of those Lockhart books take up so much space in my trunk I had to leave it at home."

"You can borrow mine if you really want to get your hands on it," Harry offered.

"Oh, can I?"

Harry nodded.

"Thank you!" Hermione quietly squealed. The bell rang.

"Come on, we'll be late for Potions," Harry grabbed Hermione's wrist and dragged her from the library and down into the dungeons.

It was a lecture day and Harry scribbled down notes quickly, trying to keep up with Snape. Today it was on various venoms and poisons from plants and animals that could be used to make potions for healing. The bell rang and Snape barked out the homework.

"A four foot essay on the benefits of snake venom!"

Harry lingered and gestured for his friends to go ahead.

"Professor?" Harry spoke to get Snape's attention.

"Yes Mr. Potter?"

"I was wondering, are their any potions that can force someone to do something they didn't want to?"

"Of course there are. Several in fact. There's Veritaserum, the truth potion. The Coercion Draught and several others. All of which can be found in books."

"I see."

"Why do you need to know?" Severus asked.

"Someone's been drugging me with a potion. I don't know what it is, but I can smell it. It makes me behave like a Gryffindor."

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, I act rashly, no thought to the consequences, that sort of thing," Harry said. Severus moved to the back of the classroom and shifted through the cabinets. He quickly found an empty vial and handed it to Harry.

"The next time you find that there's something unwanted in your drink, put a bit of it in here, I will analyze it."

"Thank you sir," Harry said. He pocketed and vial.

"Now get to your next class," he ordered. Harry left the dungeon classroom and hurried off to Herbology.

XxXxXxX

A large group of students sat down at a table at the back of the library. Hermione was up and off collecting books while Ginny looked over at the group nervously.

"It's okay Ginny, you're one of us now," Alex said with a grin. "Besides, I've been told you need a hand with Charms."

"O-okay," Ginny murmured.

"So, what do you need help on?" Alex asked her. Ginny quickly pulled her battered Charms book from her bag. A leather diary fell out with it and she squeaked. Alex chuckled. The older girl bent and picked it up.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to read it or anything," Alex reassured her. She handed it over to Ginny. Ginny was blushing profusely as she stuffed the diary back into her bag and opened up her textbook.

Several hours later, curfew was upon them and they all began packing up to head off back to their dorms.

"You'll be all right on your own Ginny?" Harry asked. A hand was gently placed on Ginny's shoulder.

"Don't worry Potter. I'll keep an eye on her."

Harry followed the hand up to the face of another Slytherin. Blaise Zabini stood behind Ginny, a small stack of books under his arm.

"It's okay Harry, Blaise is taking care of me," Ginny said. Harry eyed the other boy carefully.

"If you're sure Ginny. We'll see you tomorrow," Harry said and the rest of them headed off.

"I'll have her back safe and sound, and keep Malfoy and his cronies away from her. Come on Gin, let's get back before Filch catches us," Blaise steered her out of the library.

XxXxXxX

Ever since the debacle with the pixies, Lockhart didn't bother bringing anything living into the classroom to teach with. It would be too difficult to get it cleared with Dumbledore, at least that's what he told the students when asked.

Today he was reading a passage from _Wanderings with Wolves_.

"Now, we're getting to the good part, can I have a volunteer to come up and help me act it out?" Lockhart beamed at them. No one moved.

"Perhaps, Mr. Potter would you like to come up?" he asked. Harry's forehead knocked against the edge of his desk and he yelped, blinking the stars from his eyes.

"Na?" he groaned unintelligibly.

"Excellent, come on, up we get," Lockhart said this all with great enthusiasm, his beaming smile never faltering.

"No thanks," Harry stated firmly.

"Nonsense, it's all in good fun. And you'll get a chance to learn exactly how I defeated the Wagga Wagga Werewolf!"

"No!" Harry snapped. Alex elbowed him.

"Just do it, how bad could it be?" she hissed.

Harry simply glared as he slowly got up.

'This is going to be chalk full of inaccuracies.' Harry thought.

"Now then, come stand in front of me Harry," Lockhart ordered. Harry complied, making sure to move as slowly as possible. Lockhart lifted the book to paraphrase what was written in it. "First, I slammed him to the ground – "

Lockhart moved to push Harry over, but the boy's natural instinct took over, and he grabbed Lockhart by the wrist and elbow and threw the man over his hip, slamming him on his back. The class was in utter shock. It took Lockhart a moment to recover, but when he had, he was smiling widely.

"And then, I held him down, with one hand. Go on Harry," he said. Harry crouched over Lockhart's prone form on the ground and pinned him down with his forearm to keep the man's arms from moving. "And finally, I cast the Homorphus charm to force him back into human form."

With that complete, Harry straightened and headed back to his desk.

'Yep, tons of inaccuracies,' He thought with a grin. 'But that was fun.'

At the end of class, Hermione decided to berate Harry for "attacking a teacher."

"Really Harry, you're lucky it wasn't some other teacher that would have given you a detention for that," Hermione scolded.

"'Mione, I was trained to not let anyone get me on the ground. It's been ingrained into me to automatically reverse the position in my favor," said Harry. 'That and the fact that the Wolf would never allow someone like Lockhart physically dominate me.'

"Still Harry, if you'd tried that on someone like Professor Snape – "

"Professor Snape is too tall for me to be able to flip like that. At my current height, he'd knock his head on the ground first."

"I'd kill to see Snape knock Lockhart on his arse," Alex giggled.

"Who wouldn't?" Harry snorted.

"Well, 'Mione here, and that Finch-Fletchley boy in Hufflepuff," Alex said. She threw an arm over Hermione's shoulders. "Let's get going shall we?"

The three headed off to the library to work on homework.

XxXxXxX

One week later found Harry out on the Quidditch pitch against Hufflepuff. There was a lot of pressure for this game. Defeating the Hufflepuffs meant a chance at first place against Slytherin. Gryffindor had been flattened the week before due to Slytherin's superior brooms.

"You can do it Potter, you've beaten Diggory before, you can do it again. Catch the snitch before he does, or die trying to," O'Neill told him. Harry just nodded as he tightened the straps on his gloves. Harry ran his hands over the handle of his Nimbus, praying that he wouldn't fail.

"All right, let's go," the team headed out of the locker rooms. Seven sets of sapphire blue robes flapped in the wind, it was a windy but sunny day. At the other end of the pitch, robes of canary yellow appeared. Madame Hooch stood in the center of the pitch, the crate of balls at her feet.

"Captains, shake hands," she ordered, and O'Neill shook hands with the Hufflepuff captain. Unlike the game last week, no one was trying to break someone's fingers. "Mount up!"

Harry launched into the air, hovering above the rest of the team, Diggory not too far away. The Snitch and two Bludgers were released and shot off into the sky. Madame Hooch tossed the Quaffle into the air and the game began.

Harry and Cedric hovered far above the game, searching for the snitch. A Bludger whizzed by Harry's head. He could hear it approaching again, but James knocked it off course. He sped off again after the other Bludger, but the one he'd just struck went after Harry again. Harry barrel-rolled to get out of the way, but it simply turned around and went for him again.

_"Chikusho!"_ Harry cursed loudly, but it was swallowed up by the wind.

He raced over the stands, and could vaguely hear the Slytherins laughing at him as he dodged, ducked, dived, and dodged. He weaved between the Hufflepuff chasers, desperate to get the Bludger away. The cousins appeared and both struck the Bludger at the same time. It flew far off course. And then to their surprise, turned right around headed back for Harry.

"This Bludger's been fixed! Dammit!" Robert yelled. Hufflepuff scored, they were now in the lead.

"Robert, James, I'll take care of it!" Harry said.

"Are you mad? We'll have the scrape what's left of you off the grass if we don't do something!" James retorted.

"At his rate, we'll lose. Don't worry about it!" Harry said. The Bludger narrowly missed his nose and he changed course. The cousins shrugged and broke away from Harry to focus on the game.

Harry continued to weave, still searching for the Snitch. Harry fell into a dive, hoping that he could at least slow down the Bludger. At the very last moment, he pulled out of the dive, and heard the Bludger impact with the grass below.

His eyes swept over the pitch, searchingly. There! Hovering above Snape's head in the teacher's box was the Snitch. Harry threw himself forward on the broom handle, darting forward.

As Harry approached, he extended his hand, passing just above Snape. His fingers closed around the Snitch, and then it happened. The Bludger collided with his still outstretched arm. With a cry of pain, he pulled his fractured arm closer to his body. Passing by Lee Jordan, he yelled out.

"I caught it!"

"RAVENCLAW WINS! POTTER CATCHES THE SNITH! TWO HUNDRED TO FORTY!" Lee announced, and the Ravenclaw section of the stands burst into a loud roar.

Harry coasted towards the grass, and collapsed, unable to remain on his broom any longer. With a groan, he sat up to find exactly where the Bludger had hit him. 'This is one moment I'm glad I'm a werewolf, stronger bones.' He thought before lying back down.

"Harry!"

Harry blanched at the sound of that voice.

"No, don't, take me to the Hospital Wing," he begged weakly.

"Nonsense Harry, It's just a break, I'll have you fixed up in no time," Lockhart insisted.

"Its fractured, not broken," Harry protested, moving away from the blonde man.

"Really, Professor, we'll take him up to Madame Pomfrey," O'Neill insisted.

"Yeah, Harry's injuries should be left to a professional sir," Alex said, moving to help Harry stand. But it was too late, Lockhart's wand was pointed at Harry's arm, but Harry shifted, and whatever the spell was struck him in the leg.

Harry's already pale face just got paler when a strange feeling flowed from his hip, down to his toes, and then there was no sensation at all.

"Oh dear," Lockhart murmured.

"What? What the hell did you do?!" Harry demanded.

"Well – uh – it would seem that – that your leg deflated," Hermione said weakly.

"Deflated?" Harry used his good arm to grab his right leg. It was disgustingly soft and squishy. He made a face. "The bones, where'd the bones go?! What the fuck did you do to the bones in my leg?!"

"Well, it's an unfortunate side effect –"

"Unfortunate? You call that unfortunate?" Neville asked his eyes wide. "His leg's useless!"

"Well, you'd best get up to the infirmary then Harry," Lockhart said.

"And how do you propose I do that, I can't _walk_!"

"Not to worry, Mr. Longbottom, come with me," Snape ordered, waving his wand and Harry lifted into the air. Snape turned to Lockhart. "Go tell Albus what you did to a student." Lockhart quivered under the older man's glare before running off. Snape then marched off towards the castle, Harry floating along behind him.

XxXxXxX

Harry had never seen Madam Pomfrey angry before and quickly decided he never wanted to see her that way again.

"Why did you not come straight to me, Mr. Potter?"

"I tried to, but he wouldn't let me get up!" Harry replied. The surly Medi-Witch thrust a potion into his good hand. She puttered agitatedly around the bed.

"For the pain, now, let's see your arm," she carefully searched for the fracture, and pointed her wand at it. Harry grimaced at the feel of the bone healing. She then tossed a pair of pajamas to Harry.

"Mr. Longbottom, help him change," she ordered before stalking towards her cabinet. Neville helped him get the pajamas on, after wrestling with his now useless leg into the leg of the pajama pants.

Madame Pomfrey returned with a large bottle or something that was labeled "Skele-Gro."

"You'll be in for a long night Mr. Potter, regrowing your entire leg won't be a pleasant experience," she said, handing a cup full of the potion to him.

It burned on its way down as he swallowed it, and quickly downed three glasses of water afterwards.

"Out, now Mr. Longbottom," she shooed at Neville.

"I'll tell the others you'll be all right," he said, giving Harry a small smile before running off.

And Harry was left alone to try and ignore the pain that was starting to develop in his leg, which was now supported by a sling so that the bones would regrow in the proper places. With a sigh, he lay down thinking.

'Why the hell was the Bludger doing that? The 'Puffs couldn't have done it, too much honor. Whoever did it must have seriously wanted to get me killed.'

**Ooh, look, I updated. I know it's been quite a while, but I've been having a hard time writing lately. Don't know why, but it's the truth. Hopefully, the next chapter won't take so long. Hopefully. Don't forget to review!**

**If you bother to look at the chapter titles, you'll see that they are all song titles, but on occasion a song I use will be labeled as someone's/couple's theme song. Each song is suited towards the person or couple. Not all characters have a theme because my music library doesn't fit everyone's personality or role in this story (that and most of the songs are in Japanese and I don't know what all of the lyrics mean). Also the songs I use I recommend to listen to. Also if you have a song recommendation for a current/later character, let me know. I may consider using it later on. I already have a few that I'm dead set on using, but I won't say for who or what song, you'll just have to wait and see.**


	14. 2:5 :: Everything Changes

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 14: Everything Changes

Harry woke with a start, the pain in his leg throbbing uncomfortably. He sniffed around, but the only scent in the room was unfamiliar to him. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and he could see an odd shape sitting upon his chest. He held still until it reached forward with a sponge in its hand. His hands flashed out, grabbing it by what felt like a pillowcase. There was a yelp and he was face to face with Dobby.

"Dobby! What are you doing here?" Harry snarled.

"Harry Potter returned to Hogwarts. Dobby warned Harry Potter, but you did not listen."

"You still haven't answered the question," Harry growled. Dobby's eyes widened at the sight of Harry's slightly elongated canines gleaming in what little light the moon provided.

"Dobby thought that if Harry Potter missed the train –"

"How do you know about that?" Harry gave Dobby a shake. "You did it, didn't you?"

"H-Harry Potter must understand. If something were to happen to Harry Potter, there would be nothing to stop him!"

"Who? Stop who, Dobby?"

Dobby spoke in a low hiss of a whisper, "_He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named_."

'What is with wizards and hyphens?' Harry thought.

"What does Voldemort have to do with it? Is he the one that opened the Chamber of Secrets? Who is he possessing now?"

"Dobby does not know!" Dobby sniffed and wiped his nose on the corner of the pillowcase he wore. "But Dobby thought his Bludger would have –"

"Your Bludger? You nearly got me killed!"

"No! No, I never meant to kill Harry Potter, sir. Dobby only wanted him to go home!"

"Dobby," Harry stopped when he heard the faint sound of footsteps in the hall outside. "Dobby, go, leave, you can't be seen here!" He shooed Dobby off the bed, and with a crack, the house-elf was gone.

Harry lay back down, and shut his eyes. The door of the infirmary opened, and the stench of death made his nose itch in discomfort. Cracking and eye open, he saw Dumbledore and McGonagall dumping a statue onto a bed. As the aged man turned, Harry closed his eyes again.

Madame Pomfrey came rushing out of her office.

"Albus, Minerva, what happened?" she bent over the bed to look at the statue.

"There's been another attack," Dumbledore said gravely. Harry nearly gasped.

'Is the person dead? They smell dead, or maybe only petrified, but why would they smell the same?' His mind was whirling as he tried to figure it out.

"Minerva found him on a staircase, no doubt coming up here to see Mr. Potter," Dumbledore informed Madame Pomfrey.

'Nev? No, it couldn't be. He'd never risk getting caught.'

McGonagall shifted, and from a ray of moon light, he saw the face. Harry quickly swallowed a scream. There, still and pale, was Colin Creevey.

"He's been Petrified?" Madame Pomfrey asked, giving the boy a prod with her wand.

"Yes, but perhaps, he was able to get a photograph of whoever did this to him," Dumbledore suggested, prying the camera from the boy's cold grip. He carefully opened up the back of the camera. Harry could smell the melted plastic from where he lay, it was unpleasant. A puff of black smoke and a hiss rose from the camera.

"Good Merlin, what does this mean Albus?" Minerva asked, her hand to her breast.

"It would seem, that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed opened, once again," Dumbledore said. The conversation moved to Madame Pomfrey's office, and Harry was left wondering.

XxXxXxX

Harry awoke in the morning, automatically looking towards the bed Colin now inhabited. But high curtains blocked his view. Madame Pomfrey bustled towards him with breakfast. Harry was already picking up his fork when she stopped him.

"Leg first," she ordered. Harry slid off the bed and carefully stretched his leg. The knee joint popped loudly and satisfyingly. He gave his toes a wiggle.

"Good as new," he said.

"Very well, eat, and then you can leave," Madame Pomfrey told him.

Harry hurriedly changed, his mind still trying to piece together this year's mystery.

'What's the purpose of taking out a cat, and an innocent boy?' He thought. 'But what Malfoy said, about the Muggle-borns. Are they really the target?'

Madame Pomfrey appeared once more from her office.

"The Headmaster would like to see you in his office Harry, the password is Lemon drop," she told him, flicking her wand at his bed. The sheets disappeared and fresh once took their place, all perfectly made up.

"Okay, bye Madame Pomfrey," Harry called to her.

"I don't want to see you back hear until the next full moon Harry, you hear me?"

"I hear you, by the way, the next full moon is next week," Harry said with a cheeky grin.

"Get on with you boy," Madame Pomfrey huffed, hands on her hips. Harry gave her a wave and left.

XxXxXxX

After asking Professor McGonagall for directions to Dumbledore's office, Harry stood before the gargoyle statue.

'What does Dumbledore want with me? Does he know I eavesdropped on that conversation this morning?' He thought. With a sigh he spoke the password.

"Lemon drop," he said.

The gargoyle sprang to life, and moved aside and the wall behind it separated like an automatic door at the grocery store. From behind the now parted wall, a spiral staircase was winding upwards. Harry quickly stepped onto it and took the steps two at a time until he reached the top. There stood the door to the Headmaster's office.

Knocking upon the polished wood, the door opened and he stepped inside. The door then shut behind him on its own. He took a step into the room and looked around. If anything, Dumbledore's office was at least interesting. There were trinkets and little shiny things on stools decorating the room. Many seemed to have some kind of function to it, as they were whirring, emitting puffs of smoke, or even ticking like clocks.

Atop a bookshelf sat a tattered looking hat and it felt like it was watching him. He then realized it was the Sorting Hat, and it was indeed watching him carefully.

"Good morning Mr. Potter," it said.

"Good morning," Harry replied. "Do you know where Professor Dumbledore is?" He asked.

"He has stepped out for a moment, but will be back. How are you faring in Ravenclaw?"

"I love it, no one treats me like a saint, or a hero, it's nice," Harry said.

"That is good to know," the Hat said. Harry's attention was caught by a musical trilling. He turned and sitting on a perch was a magnificent scarlet plumed bird. It trilled again, and Harry felt his heart lift in calm. The bird flapped its wings and rose into the air to rest upon his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek with a golden beak.

"I see you have become acquainted with Fawkes," a voice spoke. Harry whipped around, drawing his wand. Upon recognizing Dumbledore, he quickly shoved his wand back into his pocket. "I apologize for startling you Harry, especially so close to the full moon."

Dumbledore walked around his desk and sat down, making himself comfortable.

"Please, sit, make yourself comfortable," he gestured towards the chair. Harry complied, and Fawkes moved, curling up on Harry's lap. Harry stroked the bird down its long neck and it crooned softly in delight. "He is quite a delightful phoenix, isn't he?"

"A phoenix?" Harry asked, staring at Fawkes. Fawkes' slightly beady eyes stared at him.

"Yes, they are quite extraordinary creatures. Their tail feathers, when willingly given can be used as the cores to wands, their tears have amazing healing powers, and they can carry up to several times their weight, they are also very loyal pets."

Fawkes moved back to his perch now and puffed out his chest, as if disagreeing about being a mere pet.

"Sir, if you don't mind, could you tell me why you called me here?" Harry asked.

"Of course Harry, yes, of course," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. He reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a folded letter written on notebook paper.

"I have received word from your aunt through Dr. Thomas that she has successfully divorced your uncle, and your uncle has been given full custody of you," Dumbledore said, awaiting Harry's reply. Harry suddenly felt like Death had entered the room and was waiting for him to turn around.

"Okay," Harry said, though he didn't sound very enthusiastic. He was glad Aunt Petunia no longer had to deal with Uncle Vernon anymore, but the fact that he was stuck with Vernon didn't help matters. "What about Dudley?" He asked.

"His parents have joint custody of him, but lives with his father, he will visit his mother on major holidays and twice every month," Dumbledore told him, his eyes were twinkling even more that usual, if that was possible.

If Lockhart had Dumbledore's ability to make his eyes twinkle, anyone or anything that had ever looked the man upon the face would have been dead instantly, if not dead, blinded. Combined with his painfully bright smile, it would be an incredibly deadly weapon. Harry restrained a small smile at the thought.

"Is that all?" Harry asked.

"Actually, I was wondering if there was something you wanted to tell me," Dumbledore said in a low voice, his eyes looking straight into Harry's. Harry felt a strange nudging at his mind, and he automatically blanked out. Dumbledore finally looked away when Harry shook his head. "You may go now Harry." He said.

Harry got up, and giving the Sorting Hat a final wave, and Fawkes an affectionate pat on the head, he walked out of the office.

"Be careful Albus, Harry's destined to be a great one, if he isn't suspicious already, blatantly trying to enter his mind will make him so," the Hat warned.

XxXxXxX

Harry stormed into the Ravenclaw common room, finding Hermione and Alex sprawled out on the couch. Mikan hopped from her perch on the arm of it and coiled between Harry's ankles, staring up at him.

"Hey there," he bent over to lift Mikan into his arms. Mikan purred in content and Harry threw himself onto the couch between the girls.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, putting her book down.

"My aunt and uncle are divorced, but I'm stuck with my _dear_ Uncle Vernon," Harry spat. "He isn't even my blood relative, Aunt Petunia is. The only thing that made us related was the fact that he was married to Aunt Petunia. I don't understand why she can't have custody of me."

"Maybe it was decided that it would be best for you to have a male figure in your life," Hermione suggested.

"That's what Jon is for, he's twice the man Vernon is," Harry said. The door opened and two sixth years came through. Mikan slipped out the door before Harry could call her back.

"It'll be okay Harry, you'll only have to see him during the summer," Hermione said, patting him on the hand.

"By the way, how is your leg and arm?" Alex asked.

"Perfectly fine. Madame Pomfrey was about to tie me to the bed when my knee popped, but that's only because the joint was stiff," Harry said. He hopped up then. "I need to go write a letter to Jon." He said and disappeared into the boy's dormitory.

XxXxXxX

That night, Mikan stalked the halls of Hogwarts, she was a cat on a mission, and nothing could stop her from completing it. After spending the afternoon in Severus' office planning, she was ready.

The gargoyle statue loomed ever closer. As she approached Mikan's flickering shadow became engulfed by a larger one, and the shadow that appeared on the other side was that of a woman. She was young in appearance, tall, and incredibly beautiful. Curls of hair framed her face, and her eyes reflected the light of the torches lining the walls beside her.

Dumbledore sat in his office going over some paperwork, happily sucking on a lemon drop. He was surprised when there was a knock on his door, and he quickly allowed his unexpected guest to enter.

He could only stare as the beautiful woman entered and approached, drawing a willow wand from the pocket of her jeans, her forest green cloak fanning out behind her in the same manner Snape's robes did. Dumbledore's eyes widened in recognition as she raised her wand and pointed it right between his eyes with a look of pure determination in her eyes.

XxXxXxX

Harry ate calmly, wondering if Jon had received his letter yet. There was a loud flutter and the morning post arrived. Everyone stared when they caught sight of the tell-tale red envelope of a Howler. The owl carrying it was a large black eagle owl. It glided down and came to rest before the haggard looking Headmaster. Releasing the envelope it took off again.

Everyone was in shock, who would send the Headmaster a Howler? They soon got their answer when Dumbledore calmly opened it.

_"ALBUS DUMBLEDORE! HOW DARE YOU!? HOW DARE YOU TELL MY NEPHEW SUCH LIES!?"_

Harry dropped the piece of toast in his hand. 'Aunt Petunia?'

_"MY NEPHEW IS GOING NO WHERE NEAR THAT TUB OF LARD THAT IS VERNON DURSLEY! HE WILL REMAIN WITH ME UNTIL HE IS OF AGE! DO YOU HEAR ME!? IF I LEARN THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME ONE MORE TIME, YOU WILL DEAL WITH THE WRATH THAT ONLY AN EVANS CAN DISH OUT!"_

Several of the staff members appeared to be suppressing laughter. Especially Professor Snape – who had been looking quite smug all morning. Dumbledore's first thought was how exactly Petunia Evans had found out about his plan. But then realized that the visitor from the night before must have had some hand in it.

Hermione was in shock.

"Who was that woman?" she asked, clearly affronted that someone would try to undermine Dumbledore's authority in suck a humiliating manner.

"That my dear Hermione was my Aunt Petunia Evans," Harry said with a wide grin. "My respect for her has officially risen eighty percent."

"But how did she get a Howler if she's a Muggle?" Alex asked.

"Probably my doctor, she's a witch so, I figure she asked for one and had help recording her voice," Harry said, finishing his breakfast. "Come on, there's something I have to tell you guys." He said.

The girls followed after him as they walked the halls towards their first class of the day. Harry told them about Colin being Petrified the night he'd been in the Hospital Wing.

"What do you think it might be?" Alex pondered.

"Whatever it is, it destroyed the film in his camera, but the camera itself was fine," Harry said. "It obviously is something powerful, but whatever it is, it's something only I can hear."

They continued down to the dungeons, and walked by a tapestry of Salazar Slytherin with a snake coiling around his shoulders. Harry halted and stared at the snake as it hissed.

_"What are you staring at?"_ it asked him in annoyance. Harry shook his head and went on.

'Could it be? Is it a snake? But how would be getting around the school?'

"Harry?" Hermione's voice filtered towards him.

"Coming!"

All through the potions lesson, his mind was caught on the possibilities of whether Slytherin's monster was a snake. It was highly probable, considering the man was a Parselmouth.

'Surely if it is a snake, then someone would notice it slithering around, hurting students.'

When class was over, Harry lingered behind to speak to Snape. Once the last student was gone, Harry spoke quickly.

"Professor is it possible that whatever is attacking students is a snake?" he asked.

"What gave you that idea?" Severus asked, a single eyebrow arched in question.

"Well, I was thinking, Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth, right? So it would make sense if his pet was a snake," Harry said.

"It is probable, but what sort of snake would it be, Mr. Potter?"

"I don't know. From what little I know of Salazar Slytherin, he doesn't seem the type to have just any old snake. It would be unique, something deadly," Harry mused. Severus nodded in acknowledgement of Harry's hypothesis.

"Get going Mr. Potter, you'll be late for your next class," Snape said, giving him a nudge to the door.

Harry couldn't help but wonder how many more times he'd be hanging back in class for the remainder of the year.

XxXxXxX

Mid-December came in a heavy snow storm that blanketed everything in a thick layer of snow. To his friends' shock, Harry was on the list of students going home for the holidays.

"Last year you were happy to stay here," Hermione said.

"Yeah well, last year, I had to deal with Uncle Vernon, and Dudley," Harry told her. "But not this year."

"It's good Harry wants to spend more time with his family, isn't it?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, and at least he doesn't have to worry about his uncle and cousin anymore," Alex chimed in.

The group was walking from the library to the Great Hall, the group having gotten larger to include Blaise, Ginny, and Luna.

They paused when they spotted a gathering of people crowding around the notice board beside the door.

"What do you suppose is going on?" Ginny asked. Harry slipped into the crowd and was back a moment later, grinning.

"They've started a Dueling Club. The first meeting's tonight," Harry said.

"You reckon we should go?" Blaise asked.

"Sure, sounds like it'll be interesting at the very least," Harry said.

Everyone was in agreement, enthusiastic with the prospect to learn spells not in the school curriculum.

Throughout the day, there was nothing but talk and speculation about what would be taught and who would be teaching. The only teachers that were able to keep control over their students were McGonagall and Snape.

The day was nearly over, and Harry sat in History of Magic, playing a game of hangman with Alex. Hermione cast disapproving glances at them, but found that she only had a few lines of notes written down.

When class was finally over, the three hurried up to Ravenclaw Tower to put their stuff away. Luna joined them in the common room, and the four met up with Neville, Ginny and Blaise in the entrance hall. From there, they made their way to the Great Hall.

The majority of the students were present, everyone armed with their wands.

"Who do you think is doing the teaching?" Ginny asked.

"I hope its Professor Flitwick, he was a dueling champion in his youth apparently," Hermione said excitedly.

"Just as long as it isn't –" Harry's sentence ended with an annoyed groan. Gilderoy Lockhart had appeared on the golden stage that was set up. But to his surprise Snape was with him. Lockhart gestured for silence, and grinned.

"Good, now, can you all see me? Can you hear me?"

There was no response.

"Excellent!" Lockhart's grin widened. "Professor Dumbledore has given me permission to start this dueling club, in light of recent events. I am here to teach you all so that you can defend yourselves as I have had to do on several occasions.

"This is my assistant, Professor Snape. He was kind enough to take time out of his evening to help me for a demonstration. He also tells me he knows a bit about dueling himself, but don't worry, you'll still have your Potions Professor once I'm done with him."

Harry saw Snape sneer in disdain at Lockhart. The two men turned to face each other, and bowed. Though Snape's bow was more a jerk of his head than anything else. The two then raised their wands, as if they were swords.

Lockhart then paused to speak.

"We are standing and holding our wands in an acceptable combat position," he said. "Now, on the count of three, we will cast our spells, to disarm only."

Snape looked like he wanted to roll his eyes.

"One – two – three!"

They moved, wands swinging, and Snape was the first to fire his spell.

_"Expelliarmus!"_

A jet of scarlet light burst from Snape's wand and collided with Lockhart. The strength of the spell sent the man flying backwards and striking the wall with a groan. Snape deftly caught Lockhart's wand and twirled it between his fingers.

"Is he all right?" Hermione asked, trying to get a better look at Lockhart. Harry looked at Alex.

"Didn't you say you'd kill to see Snape knocked Lockhart on his arse?" he asked.

"I did, didn't I?"

The pair burst into laughter.

Lockhart stumbled to his feet and made his way back onto the stage.

"Excellent Professor Snape, though I must say, it was quite obvious what you were going to do," Lockhart beamed. Snape looked like he wanted to wrap his fingers around the other man's throat. Lockhart then turned to the students. "Now, as you can see, Professor Snape has gained possession of my wand."

"Perhaps, the students would like to attempt the spell?" Snape suggested.

"An excellent idea!"

'God, if he says excellent one more time!' Harry though.

"Professor Snape and I will be going among you and pairing you all up," Lockhart said, sweeping off the stage.

When Snape came to the group of first and second years, he gave them a cursory glance.

"Potter, you're with Malfoy," he snapped. Harry blinked, looking over to the smirking blond.

"Granger and Parkinson. Longbottom, you're with Finch-Fletchley, Redwing, pair up with Weasley."

"Which one sir?" Alex asked.

"The one that denies the existence of his sister," Snape said, glaring at Ron. "Lovegood, Miss Weasley, you're together. And Zabini, go join Finnigan."

Blaise turned to Ginny.

"You'll be all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, Luna won't do anything to hurt me," she told him. Blaise nodded to the girl's and headed off to find the Gryffindor.

Lockhart spoke now, once everyone was paired up, "Face your partners, and bow!"

Harry twitched his head, watching Malfoy's every move. Knowing the other boy, he wouldn't be wasting time.

"Wands at the ready, and on the count of three, disarm only! One…two...three!"

Harry had begun moving the moment he saw Malfoy's muscles twitch.

_"Expelliarmus!"_

Like Snape's spell, it slammed into Malfoy, sending him sprawling. His wand flew through the air and landed in Harry's hand.

All around them, people were being struck by various curses. Somehow, Ginny had ended up with her back to Luna, her Bat Bogey Hex attacking Ron. Alex was clutching her sides in laughter.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart cried desperately. Slowly, everyone stopped, but Ginny refused to cancel the spell. _"Finite Incantatem!" _The attack on Ron ended and Alex slowly got her breath back.

Lockhart tutted, Pansy was trying to claw at Hermione's face, but Hermione's slightly longer arms kept her at bay. Neville was on the floor breathing heavily, staring at Justin in shock. The boy was surrounded in a cloud of green smoke. It slowly dissipated and they could see Justin again.

"Perhaps, we should have some student volunteers, Miss Redwing, Weasley, come up."

"Perhaps, two with a bit more power, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy," Snape ordered. The two boys came up onto the stage, facing each other.

"Now, are you two ready?" Lockhart asked the boys. They both nodded. "Three – two – one – go!"

_"Serpensortia!"_

Malfoy's wand flashed and a long black snake landed between them. Harry's eyes narrowed. He knew better than to open his mouth, he didn't know how to control his Parseltongue abilities. He could speak it subconsciously, and to reveal that fact could spell trouble. Harry looked to Snape as the snake slowly approached. It was poised to attack him now. He growled low in his throat and the snake hesitated, it recognized that Harry wasn't prey.

"Don't move Potter, I'll get rid of it," Snape said tersely, stepping forward, raising his wand.

"Allow me," Lockhart said with a grin. He leveled his wand at the snake and it flew several feet into the air before landing with a thump. It turned to the others standing around, quickly advancing on Justin. It was about to strike when it suddenly disappeared. Snape looking surly rounded on Malfoy.

"Mr. Malfoy, refrain from using spells that can potentially harm other students," Snape told the boy, watching the smirk fall from his face.

The rest of the meeting proceeded with them learning the basic shielding spell, as well as the Stunning Spell along with it.

Overall, it was a good night, and everyone was rather excited for the next meeting.

XxXxXxX

The next day, everyone was headed down to Charms class, when Peeves the Poltergeist came whizzing by, screaming.

"ATTACK! ATTACK!"

"Another one?" Harry muttered. He hadn't heard anything this time, but then again, he hadn't heard anything when Colin had been Petrified either. Students were appearing from everywhere, following the direction Peeves had come from.

Eventually, they found Professor McGonagall levitating two forms. The first was clearly Justin. The second caused a gasp of horror. The Gryffindor ghost, Nearly-Headless Nick was also Petrified.

"A ghost too? What sort of monster is this?" Hermione whispered.

Harry worried his lower lip between his teeth. He was very certain that whatever it was, it had to be a snake. Most likely a magical one.

However in all of the panic that the attack caused, Harry couldn't find time to sit in the library and look it up. There was a mad rush of students going home in order to get away from the school once everyone realized that not even the dead were safe.

The day before it was time to go home for the holidays, Harry overheard Ron talking loudly with his friends, Seamus, and Dean about how Malfoy had to be the Slytherin Heir. Harry shook his head. Although it was a very remote possibility, it didn't seem right. Malfoy might have been raised to look down on anyone that wasn't as rich as he was, but there was no way he was capable of permanently harming another student. There were very few people of that age that could.

Harry sat down between the girls and quickly served himself. While taking a bite of his eggs, he noticed that Snape was watching his Slytherins strangely. It wasn't the look he had when someone royally screwed up a potion. Nor, was it the look that screamed of how much he'd rather be elsewhere than watching over a bunch of teenagers everyday. No, it was more like he was suspicious of them. Did Snape know if one of his students was Slytherin's heir?

"Harry?"

Hermione's voice filtered in, and he blinked. Harry realized that his fork was hovering in front of his face, waiting to be placed in his mouth. He set it down, and turned to Hermione.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Are you alright?"' she asked him.

"Yeah, fine. Just got lost in thought. That's all," Harry told her, going back to his food before she could ask him more questions.

"If you say so. If there's something you need to talk about, feel free to say it."

"Thanks Hermione," Harry said with a smile.

XxXxXxX

"Mikan! Mikan, where are you?" Harry called. He'd be going home tomorrow, but he didn't want to leave Mikan behind if he could help it. It was nearly curfew, and he hadn't seen Mikan all day.

"Mikan! Come out girl!"

Harry nearly jumped when Snape stepped out of the shadows. The man was unnaturally silent. Harry's only clue that he'd been there was the scent of various potions ingredients that he gave off. Harry saw Mikan curled in Snape's arm.

"Looking for something, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked him. Mikan purred when Snape scratched her behind the ears.

"Yes sir, I was actually," Harry said. He stepped forward and took Mikan from his professor. "She seems quite fond of you." He commented.

"It is a bit strange, I am not well liked by most animals," Snape said.

"Must be your bright personality," Harry said with a grin. He quickly ducked to avoid Snape's hand as it come out and tried to whack him on the back of the head.

"Cheek Potter," Snape warned.

"Sorry sir, I couldn't resist," Harry said. His smile hadn't faded at all. Harry could never really figure the man out. In class, he was relatively indifferent about Harry. But one-on-one, he was much more pleasant.

"It is now past curfew Mr. Potter, do you intend on heading to your tower?" Snape asked him.

"Yes sir, now that I've found Mikan, I'll just be heading back now. Good night sir, and happy Christmas."

"You as well, and give my regards to your aunt," Snape said. Harry nodded and turned around, heading back to Ravenclaw Tower.

XxXxXxX

Harry looked around the platform. He was waiting for either Jon or his aunt, but so far, they hadn't shown up yet. It was getting a little late, and most of the other students had already been picked up. Alex's brother had been waiting for her, and Hermione's parents had already picked her up. Harry had been offered a ride home, but he'd declined. Now he wished that he hadn't.

_"Arashi-kun!"_ Harry turned at the sound of Jon's voice.

_"Aniki! Osoi!"_ Harry glared at Jon. Jon chuckled and ruffled Harry's hair.

_"Gomen,"_ the man muttered, reaching for the trolley that contained Harry's things. They left the station, and Jon quickly loaded Harry's trunk into the boot of the car.

The car was silent for a few minutes, before Jon decided to speak.

"So, how has the school year been so far?" he asked.

"Alright. But once again, weird shit is happening," Harry replied.

"Like what?"

"Some kind of monster that belonged to Salazar Slytherin is attacking students."

"Salazar Slytherin was a founder of the school right?"

"Yeah. He built some sort of haven for himself that is only accessible by himself or his heir. Someone opened it up and unleashed this horrible creature on the school. So far, Mrs. Norris, that's the caretaker's cat, two Muggle-born students, and a ghost have been Petrified."

"A dead person can be Petrified?" Jon asked.

"Looks that way," Harry said.

"Man, maybe I shouldn't have let you go back to school after all," Jon told Harry.

"Yes, but I'm safe from it, I'm a half-blood. Pureblood father, Muggle-born mother."

"I'd still feel better, knowing you were completely safe," Jon said. It was silent for a moment before Jon decided on starting a new topic. "So, now that your uncle and cousin are out of the picture, how do you plan on spending the holidays?"

"I don't know. Last year, I was still at school, so I mostly just spent it up in the Tower, alone," Harry said.

"That just won't do. Your aunt asked me to spend Christmas with the two of you, and your cousin won't be coming over. You're free to do what you want."

"That's great! I'm sure I'll figure something out," Harry said. They lapsed into silence once again. Harry watched as London made way into suburbs and smaller towns. Before he knew it, they were pulling up into the drive way of number four Privet Drive.

"Well, we're here," Jon announced, turning off the ignition. As soon as he said this the front door opened and Petunia Evans came out of the house. Harry stepped out of the car and was pulled into her embrace.

"It's nice to see you again dear," she said.

"Good to see you too Aunt Petunia," Harry replied. Petunia pulled away, and frowned.

"You must be starving, let's get you inside and fed," Petunia shoved him towards the front door. "You're welcome to stay as well Jonathan."

"Are you sure?" Jon asked.

"Yes, yes, come inside. You can worry about that trunk later," Petunia said. She was already dragging him inside.

When Harry entered, the house felt rather bare. A good portion of the things that once decorated the house were gone. There was also a distinct lack of pictures with Dudley. At the moment, the mantel of the fireplace in the family room held three pictures, one of which moved.

Harry stepped forward to examine them more closely. The first was an old family photo of Petunia, Lily, and their parents. Seeing the two sisters standing beside each other, their resemblances were clearer. They both had the same wavy red hair, and high cheekbones.

The second one contained several young people. Harry recognized his parents immediately, and he realized that it was a wedding picture of some sort. This one was obviously a Muggle picture since it didn't move, but still, it was quite a picture. Besides his parents, there was his Aunt Petunia, his mother's parents, and two other men that Harry didn't recognize. One was all smiles, with dark wavy hair that fell to his chin and bright blue eyes. The other man looked exhausted, like he hadn't been getting enough sleep, but despite the apparent tiredness in his light brown eyes, he was still smiling.

The third and final photograph was a wizarding one, if the fact that it moved was anything to go by. It was a picture of Lily, bouncing an infant on her knee, cooing to him. It dawned on Harry that it was himself as a baby. He had a thick dusting of messy black hair on his head already, and he was dressed in a red shirt and overalls. In the picture, not only was he giggling, he was happily tugging away at a lock of his mother's hair.

"That was you Harry," Petunia said. She handed him a plate of food and he took it with a nod. "You were such a cute baby, even after you got that scar, you were still beautiful."

"How old was I in this picture?" Harry asked.

"You were about a year old. I was surprised when I got the picture. Vernon never wanted me to speak of my sister, or her family. He thought that good Christians should never have anything to do with them. Not that we ever attended church in the first place."

"That man was never very sensible in the first place," Harry said. Petunia nodded.

"When I saw you in that picture, I couldn't help but compare the differences between you and Dudley. By then, that boy was far too spoiled for his own good. Vernon encouraged his horrid behavior. When I wanted to punish him for bad behavior, Vernon would blame it all on you, and you took the punishment instead. I couldn't stand it, but I couldn't fight back against him."

"How much of your life did you give up for him?" Harry asked.

"My career," Petunia replied. "I was studying to become a theatre arts teacher, but he wouldn't hear of it. No wife of his was going to work, at least, work anywhere that wasn't the house. I tried to tell him that it was my dream. I loved acting, I wanted to pass that love on to others."

"Why not do it now? You have all the time in the world since I'm not here most of the time, and it's not like you have to feed Dudley and Vernon anymore," Harry suggested. Petunia smiled.

"That's a wonderful idea," she said. "I think I'd better look up if I can continue where I left off. Thank you Harry."

"You're welcome Aunt Petunia."

Petunia ran her fingers through Harry's long hair and braided it.

"Enough of this talk, let's enjoy Christmas this year, shall we?" she suggested.

"That would be nice," Harry replied, finishing his food.

**I'm not even going to try and give an excuse. I apologize for taking a while, and now that I'm on summer break until August, hopefully I can get out at least one more chapter before I go off to community college and begin working to become an English teacher. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter, and go ahead and continue to give me suggestions for character theme songs. There was something else too...what was it again? Oh yes, I started a forum for this fanfiction, go click on the "My Forums" link on my profile. There's only two sections up and now topics, so have at it if you're interested.**

_Osoi: You're late_

_Gomen: Sorry_


	15. 2:6 :: untitled

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 15: untitled

The next day, they headed to the nearest shopping mall to finish any last minute Christmas shopping.

Harry realized that he hadn't bought anything for anyone, and rushed about trying to find something for each of his friends. Petunia had provided him with more than enough money to purchase something for all of his friends.

Shopping for Neville hadn't been difficult, anything purely Muggle would have interested him.

Neville had been a little difficult to shop for, he knew the boy loved plants, especially magical ones, but he was frightfully forgetful. In the end, Harry bought him a day planner for him to right things down in. He then went back and bought a second in case Neville misplaced the first one.

Harry had sat on a bench for ten minutes, thinking on what to buy Hermione and Alex before he remembered that Hermione had expressed an interest in learning Japanese. So with a spring in his step, he walked back to the bookstore and purchased a book for her.

Alex was even more difficult to shop for. Though she was intelligent, she never really cared much about attaining more knowledge, or applying her full potential to things. That automatically ruled out any form of textbook. Harry recalled that she was fond of music, but didn't know what kind of music. He knew she could at least play the flute. He passed by a music store and slipped inside.

Loud rock music was blaring through the speakers making his ear's throb in discomfort. He was quickly approached by an employee.

"Do you need any help?" the employee asked.

"Yeah, I'm looking for a gift for my friend, but I don't know what kind of music she likes," Harry said. The employee chewed on his lip for a moment.

"Well, what's she like?" he asked.

"Er, loud, vulgar, a little obstinate," Harry said.

"That all?"

"Pretty much."

The employee motioned for Harry to follow, and they went deeper into the store. The music seemed to get louder as they halted at the rock and roll section of the shelves. The employee looked over the various artists before settling on one. Plucking the cassette off the shelf, he handed it to Harry.

"She should like that," he said before leaving Harry in favor of another costumer. Harry glanced at the cassette and checked the price. He had enough money to buy it and still have a little left over. He walked up to the cashier and paid for the cassette. He walked out of the music store with enough time to meet up with Jon and his aunt.

They met up in front of the food court and decided to have lunch before heading home.

XxXxXxX

Christmas morning dawned brightly. Harry sat up with a yelp. Jon stood over him laughing, an empty glass in his hand.

"_Aniki_!" Harry pouted. His head and shoulders were soaked in cold water. Jon calmed down and took a deep breath to control himself.

"Be glad I didn't stick your hand in it," Jon said, grinning.

"Not funny," Harry muttered, pulling the long sleeved shirt off. He quickly jumped out of bed and pulled on a dry shirt and headed out the door.

The two came into the kitchen to the sight of Petunia swaying to Christmas carols playing on the radio.

"Happy Christmas boys," she said with a smile.

"Happy Christmas to you too Aunt Petunia," Harry replied, taking the spatula from her hands. He stepped up to the stove but Petunia pushed him away.

"None of that now, you go and start opening the pile of presents under the tree," she said.

"Presents?" Harry asked.

"Of course, you have quite the pile from your friends," she said, flipping a pancake deftly. Harry bounded out of the kitchen towards the family room. Perched on the back of the couch, three owls were resting. Harry sat down in front of the tree and found the nearest brightly wrapped box with his name on it. Tearing the paper off, he found a new sweater knitted by Mrs. Weasley.

Jon sat down next to Harry, a cup of coffee in one hand, and a mug of hot chocolate in the other.

"Thanks," Harry said before taking a sip. He once more dove into the pile, looking for more.

Jon chuckled, picking up a box for himself. He unwrapped it to find a book.

"Harry, you know I'm not much of a reader," Jon said.

"Turn to the bookmarked page," Harry said. His voice was muffled from the Weasley sweater he was tugging on. Jon found the little post-it sticking out of the pages and opened the book there.

"This – "

"That's your ancestor, Tanigawa Daiki. He was a powerful sorcerer. He defeated one of the Western world's best duelists at the time. It cost him a lot of his magic which he was unable to recover. As a result, his first born son – who was born before the duel – could use magic, but his second son, Iemitsu was a squib – a person born to someone of magic, but has no magic themselves. Iemitsu was your great-grandfather.

"I did a little research, and it's possible, but very rare, for the descendants of a squib to eventually be able to have a strong enough magical core," said Harry. "I think that's why so many have thought you're a wizard. Your magical core is large enough for some use of it, but it isn't a large amount. Maybe if you ever marry, your children could be able to be magical enough for them to go to a magic school.

"Harry – I – thank you!" Jon grabbed Harry in a head lock and ruffled his hair mercilessly. "This is so great! My grandfather was always telling us stories about magic, but I never thought it was real. Thank you so much!"

"No problem, but can you let go now?" Harry asked. Jon released him and Harry gasped for breath. He drank more of the hot chocolate before fishing out more presents.

From Hermione he'd received an eagle-feather quill and a bottle of dark green ink. He smiled and set it aside carefully. Next was joint gift from Ginny and the twins. It consisted of some joke products and an old worn piece of parchment with a note attached to it from the twins.

Deciding to read the note later, Harry moved of, picking up the gift Jon had gotten him. He gave it a gentle shake and absolutely nothing shifted inside of the box. He raised an eyebrow before tearing off the wrapping paper. To his consternation, there was another layer of wrapping paper.

"Aniki? I think you went a little overboard with the wrapping paper," Harry said, taking a sip of his cocoa

"Just keep unwrapping," Jon told him from his place on the couch.

Harry ripped away the wrapping paper and finally found the box. It was meticulously sealed with packing tape and Harry had to retrieve a pair of scissors from a drawer in the kitchen to open it. He pushed the flaps aside and pulled out what looked like a training weight. Harry looked at it and saw that this single weight was for fifty pounds. There were at least two more in the box.

"Keep going. There's more," Jon said.

Harry pushed aside the packing popcorn and bubble wrap and unearthed another three weights which he stacked on top of the first. He was getting a little frustrated with the packaging. Finally, he found yet another box resting at the very bottom, wrapping in more bubble wrap. To vent his annoyance, he took a sheet of the plastic and popped every bubble on it. He removed the wooden box and removed the cushioning from it.

"I swear Jon, if there's another box in here or something…"

Jon only laughed and watched as Harry hesitantly opened up the wooden box. Harry was surprised at the feel of it, there seemed to be some magic attached to it. Once the lid was lifted completely, Harry could see what it was that rested inside.

Sitting at the bottom of the box was a set of small charms. Lifting one up, he could feel the magic flowing through it.

"You remember that good luck charm I gave you at the end of the summer?" Jon asked.

"Yeah,"

"Go get it," Jon ordered. Harry placed the charm back in the box and jumped up and scurried up the stairs to his room. He returned a moment later with it.

"Okay, now what?" Harry asked. Jon took the charm and held it up.

"This is the hand guard that went with the katana my great-great grandfather owned. I guess he gave it to his younger son to keep him safe. I was never told the full story though. Those charms attach to these small holes on the hand guard."

Harry took it back from Jon and one by one, attached each of the small charms to the hand guard. He could feel the magic running through it now. It was old, nearly a hundred years old.

"The magic is powerful, it's meant to last for centuries," Harry said.

"There's magic in it?"

"If it was given to his squib son, then yeah. He wanted to ensure the safety of his descendants, whether or not they could use magic."

Harry stood up and held the hand guard out to Jon.

"I think you should have it," Harry said. Jon pushed the hand away.

"I gave it to you Harry. I honestly think you need it more than me," Jon said. "You're in far more danger than I'd like to admit. I don't want anything to happen to you. You are my baby brother after all."

"Okay Jon, I'll keep it," Harry murmured.

"What else have you gotten from your friends?" Jon asked, looking pointedly at the remainder of the gifts.

Harry plopped back down on the floor and picked up the nearest package. This one was from Alex. It consisted of a three volume set of the world's most famous witches and wizards and their accomplishments. He set the books aside to look at later and moved on to what appeared to be Neville's gift.

This time, rather than just a single photograph, there was an entire album full. There was also a note that came with it.

_Hi Harry!_

_Happy Christmas! I hope you like what I've sent you. Apparently, my mum and yours were really good friends at Hogwarts. Most of the pictures are of them._

_Neville._

Harry opened the album to a random page and was greeted by his mother's smiling face waving at him. He smiled before he set it aside. He got a tin of treacle tart from Hagrid. He set it in front of the fireplace to let it soften before he could eat any of it.

He was shocked to receive anything from Luna, but she'd sent him a magazine called _The Quibbler_ along with a short note that she'd paid for a year's subscription to it.

"Boys, breakfast is ready," Petunia called from the dining room. Jon and Harry jumped up and headed to the dining room. Harry stared at the amount of food on the table. "I'm not quite used to making smaller amounts…"

"Don't worry, we'll try not to let it go to waste," Jon said, sitting down.

The table was laden with eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and fruit. Petunia sat down with them and they ate. By the time all three were done, at least half of the spread was gone.

"Thank you for breakfast Aunt Petunia," Harry said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. For a moment, she looked stunned.

"I-I'm sorry, I've never been thanked for making breakfast before," she said. Harry stood up and hugged her.

"Then I'll make sure to always say it," he told her firmly.

"Oh, you really are Lily's boy," Petunia said. "There wasn't a soul on earth as kind and compassionate as hers."

Petunia dabbed at the corners of her eyes and stood.

"Now go get dressed, we've been invited to Christmas Party," she announced. "Harry, there's a box of new clothes sitting on your bed."

XxXxXxX

Harry stared at himself in the mirror. He looked so different in proper clothes. He didn't look like some tiny waif anymore. Harry combed his hair out, shocked that it now fell passed his shoulders. There was a knock at his door and he could smell a small amount of perfume.

"Come in Aunt Petunia," he said. The door opened and his aunt stepped in. She was dressed elegantly in a pale blue dress. She smiled at her nephew.

"You clean up very nicely Harry. But goodness, we must do something about your hair," she declared. Petunia left and returned with a plain black hair tie. She quickly pulled his hair into a ponytail.

"Better?" Harry asked.

"Much," she said with a smile. "Let's go, we mustn't be late."

"Who's hosting this party anyway?" Harry asked as he pulled on the new coat he'd gotten.

"The Thomas' of course," Petunia said. Jon was waiting beside his car. Once they stepped out, he hastened to open the passenger door for Petunia. She slipped into the seat as Harry got in behind her.

Jon started the car and they drove just a couple streets over.

The Thomas house was decorated beautifully for the holidays. The Christmas lights twinkled merrily and the walkway to the front door had been shoveled clean of snow.

The door opened as they stepped out of the car and were greeted by Jennifer.

"Petunia, how are you?" she asked.

"I've been doing very well," Petunia said. The two women embraced.

"Harry! How's school? Nothing too crazy happening I hope," she said with a grin.

"I wish," Harry replied.

"Is that headmaster being a little slow on the uptake again?" she asked him.

"Unfortunately."

Jennifer sighed.

"Come inside, it's freezing out here," she ushered the three into the house and they were greeted by the soft talking of the guests and a warm atmosphere.

Jennifer's husband appeared and took their coats from them.

Harry recognized several of the neighbors, and they were all staring at him warily.

"Aunt Petunia, why is everyone staring at me?" he asked.

"I'm sorry Harry, but Vernon told everyone that you're attending St. Brutus' School for Incurably Criminal Boys," she told him.

"What?!" Harry's eyes were wide with shock. He couldn't believe that such a lie had been told about him.

"I've been doing damage control, but I don't know how much good its doing. I've been saying that Vernon was just jealous that you received a full scholarship to a prestigious boarding school and Dudley didn't."

"Oh, okay. I can live with that," Harry said.

The partygoers slowly began to relax when they realized that Harry wasn't about to rob them all blind. At one point, a middle-aged man approached him.

"Your aunt tells us that you're a smart one," he said. "I wouldn't think so, what with hair like that."

Harry tugged at his ponytail. The man was giving off a peculiar smell that he didn't like.

"Aunt Petunia doesn't mind, so long as it's tamed," Harry replied.

"Harry! Have you met my nephew Dean?" Jennifer asked, steering a tall boy towards them.

"Er, we're in the same year at school, but we haven't many classes together," Harry replied.

"Hi Harry, I'm surprised to see you here," Dean said.

"Same here."

The man had wandered away when Jennifer had appeared. Harry was glad for the quick save. Jennifer disappeared to let the two boys talk.

"How do you know Aunt Jen?"

"She's my doctor," Harry replied. "She's your aunt?"

"Yeah, Uncle Ben is my dad's older brother," Dean said. There was silence for a bit before either of them spoke again.

"Aunt Jen works in the intensive care unit, what happened to you for you to meet?" Dean asked.

"I was mauled by a dog when I was eight. She found me on the front lawn in the morning."

Dean winced and Harry was relieved that he believed the lie.

"You glad to be away from school?" Harry asked.

"A bit, all that Chamber of Secrets stuff has me nervous. It's weird though, that none of the Slytherins have been attacked."

"Well, the Heir of Slytherin wouldn't go after their own housemates, would they?"

"Oh yeah. There was some kind of rumor going around that you're the Heir," Dean said.

"There was?"

"Yeah, according to Ron, you hate Filch, so you went after Mrs. Norris, and then Creevey was annoying you, but I don't know about Finch-Fletchley or Nick though."

"That's ridiculous. First off, is there a student that likes Filch? Colin Creevey can be annoying, but that's no reason to try and hurt him. Besides, shouldn't the Heir of Slytherin _be_a Slytherin?"

"Yeah, I told Ron as much. Not that he cares."

"Weasley isn't exactly the brightest Crayon, now is he?"

"Makes you wonder what happened to him. Look at all of his other siblings, they're all doing great and he seems to hate his life."

"Ron doesn't see how lucky he is. All he cares about is recognition and money. It's why he's jealous of his older brothers. Compared to them, he's nothing."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's start with the oldest, Bill. He works for Gringotts, and part of the requirements for being a curse breaker is a Mastery in both Defense and Charms. He's clearly intelligent and powerful. Charlie could have played professional Quidditch but chose not to. He makes good money working with dragons and he's respected for keeping such a dangerous occupation. Percy may be a brown-noser, but he's intelligent, no doubt has a very political mind. He may go far in the Ministry, if that's what he's going to be doing. The twins are brilliant. The things they do require amazing skill in all of their subjects. They might mess around, but they could easily be the top of their class in just about everything.

"Now, Ron. He seems to think that money can get you everything. Malfoy of course, seems to be his proof of this. He can't see that all of his brothers are proving him wrong."

"What about his sister?" Dean asked.

"Ginny isn't stupid. She obviously has ambition; why else would she be in Slytherin. To be honest, I'm not sure why Percy isn't either actually. She's made a friend of Blaise Zabini; he comes from a rich neutral family. So long as she's with him, she can't be touched by anyone. Ginny knows this, and by being my friend, no one would mess with her either because I would protect her, like I would all of my friends."

"I see what you mean. Ron is a bit of an idiot, but I never really thought of it that way. He's got this idea that Snape let's you get away with so much because you're the Boy-Who-Lived."

"I get away with just as much as the rest of the Ravenclaws. Snape hates us less, because we know what we're doing. Snape sees me as nothing more than a Ravenclaw second year that does well in his class."

It was getting late, but the party kept on going. The older man from earlier was still watching Harry, and that disgusting smell had only gotten worse.

"Dean, it's time to go, say good-bye to your friend," a tall thin woman said. Harry realized that this was Dean's mother.

"See you at school Potter," Dean said.

"You too," Harry replied, before wandering off to find something to eat. At the food table, he served himself something to eat before turning back to his place against the wall.

He ate silently, keeping one eye on the creepy man. It wasn't long before the creepy man approached him again.

"Thirsty?" he asked, holding out a champagne glass.

"I'm not old enough to drink sir," Harry replied.

"Nonsense, no one will know," he said. Harry could tell that he was becoming more insistent, and just a little desperate. The look on his face made Harry nervous. That stink was stronger now that he was standing next to the boy. He frowned and moved away from the larger man, trying to look like he wasn't trying to escape.

"No thank you sir," Harry said in a firm voice. He turned to walk away when he felt a hand brush against his backside. Harry reacted instantly. He spun around and snatched the man's arm and twisted. "Keep your hands off of me you pervert!"

There were affronted gasps from the other guests.

"What's going on here Harry?" Jon asked as he approached.

"He tried to grab me," Harry replied. He tightened his grip and could feel the bones in the man's wrist straining to remain intact. "His actions were entirely inappropriate."

"Harry, Harry, look at me," Jennifer ordered, gripping his face by the chin and turning his face towards her. His eyes were completely yellow, and looking at his bared teeth, she could see that they were longer and sharper than they normally were. "Control It."

"_He_ demands retribution," Harry whispered.

'Harry's an Alpha? This is going to be difficult,' Jennifer thought.

"Harry, I need you to control him. I know the full moon was less than a week ago, but you must. If you harm him, I will have no choice but to report you to the Ministry. As much as I don't want to, I will have to. Remember, you are in control, you control him. He does not control you."

Harry shook his head, "no, we are equals. I don't control him, and he doesn't control me. That was our deal."

"Okay, okay, that's good. Now, I need you to let go," Jennifer said, looking up at the man that was whimpering in pain as Harry continued to tighten his grip.

"I will deal with him, do not worry," she said. Harry nodded and released his grip. The man sighed in relief, but it was short lived when Harry kicked him swiftly between the legs. The man went down with a squeak, and Harry walked away.

Everyone was staring, shocked at Harry's show of strength. They were also very curious about the whispered conversation between the boy and Jennifer.

"Harry," Jon murmured, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. Petunia tugged at Harry's arm, pulling him a little further away from the man. He was sitting on the floor, cradling his wrist.

"You didn't actually hurt him, did you Harry?" Jennifer asked.

"No, his wrist is intact. Sore, but intact," Harry answered. Jennifer nodded, and her husband appeared and heaved the man to his feet.

"Come on, we're going to have a little chat," he said in a voice that suggested that said discussion would not be pleasant.

"I'm sorry for the disruption everyone," Harry said. There were a few murmurs as people went back to enjoying themselves.

"Harry, Jon, Petunia, if you would follow me please," Jennifer said, directing them away from where the party was.

The four ended up in Jennifer's study.

"Harry, I need you to tell me what happened," Jennifer said. Harry nodded.

"Before I was talking to Dean, that man was speaking to me, and there was something…off about his scent. I think I've smelled it before, but I can't be certain. Anyway, when you left Dean with me he walked away, but the entire time he was watching me. It made me feel uncomfortable. When Dean and his family left, he came back and offered me some of his champagne. I said I didn't want any, and that I wasn't old enough to drink anyway. He insisted, and that smell only got stronger the longer I was near him. I decided to just walk away when I felt his hand brush against me."

"Thank you Harry," Jennifer said, giving him a smile. "You were within your rights to defend yourself. But, try to keep the hair trigger reactions to a minimum."

"Okay," Harry replied. "The full moon was only a couple days ago, so I'll be like this for a little while."

"That's fine," Jennifer said. "Can you tell me more about that scent?"

"Um, well, like I said, I think I've smelled it before at school, but I'm not sure. I don't even know what it is."

Jennifer paced back and forth in thought.

"The only thing that I can think of would probably be pheromones," she said.

"Pheromones? Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Jon asked. Jennifer nodded grimly.

"It is likely that that man had every intention of sexually harassing Harry," she said.

"Who was he?" Petunia asked.

"He's a colleague of mine; he works in the pediatrics ward. There were always rumors and the like. But no one ever came forward and reported anything," she said. "I guess now, we have something."

Harry was just a little confused. He realized that the man's intentions were far from pure, but everything else wasn't something he understood. Petunia noticed his perplexed expression.

"We'll talk later," she told him. He nodded.

"Jenny? I've seen him out," Ben said, sticking his head through the door.

"Thank you Ben, could you see to the other guests for a few more minutes?" the doctor asked.

"Sure."

Ben disappeared and the door closed.

"I think we should get back to the festivities, shall we?" Jennifer suggested. "Again, I'm really sorry for what happened. I honestly didn't think anything like that would happen."

"Its fine Jennifer, Harry is safe and he wasn't harmed," Petunia assured the other woman.

The group went back to the party, and everyone enjoyed themselves for the rest of the evening.

XxXxXxX

Harry sat on his bed, looking over the old bit of parchment and twins had sent him. He unfolded the note that came with it and read. Unfolding the old parchment and picked up his wand and tapped it once.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he said. The blank parchment wasn't so blank now. Lines drew themselves over it, connecting and spreading to the very edges of the parchment. Harry realized that it was a map of Hogwarts. There were little dots throughout it. There was on labeled as Argus Filch at his usual post in front of the haunted bathroom where they'd found Mrs. Norris' body. He couldn't help but grin. Only the twins could have had possession of something like this.

"This is ingenious. The amount of work that went into this thing is amazing."

Harry watched as the map changed, now showing the fifth floor corridor. It was empty. He couldn't help but wonder who the four that had created the map were. Clearly, they were highly skilled and intelligent to be able to do such a thing. Harry tapped his wand to the map.

"Mischief managed," he murmured and the map went blank. He studied it intently. It looked painfully innocent, just sitting there on the bedspread. If he hadn't known what it was, he'd have just assumed it was a spare bit of old parchment. "Very clever."

XxXxXxX

Harry finished packing his trunk and carried it down to the front hall to be packed into the boot of Petunia's car. Mikan was curled up on the couch, her eyes watching Harry lazily.

"Looking forward to going back to school Mikan?" he asked. Mikan mewed. Harry plopped down on the couch beside her and pulled the cat onto his lap where he scratched her head vigorously. Mikan purred in delight at his ministrations.

"Come on Harry, we don't want to miss the train again," Petunia said. Harry stood up and placed Mikan inside her carrier and placed it in the back seat of the car. He placed his trunk in the boot of the car, and they drove off.

They reached the station and hurried towards the barrier to the platform. This time, instead of running at it, Harry casually leaned against it and he stumbled through, taking his trunk with him.

The train ride was uneventful. The girls spent most of the ride talking, with the exception of Luna, who was reading through the latest edition of the Quibbler. At some point during the ride, Dean Thomas had popped in to greet Harry. They reached Hogwarts and they scrambled to pull their robes on.

"Well, looks like nothing really happened over the break," Alex commented.

"Nearly the entire school went home for the holidays, did you really expect anything to happen?" Hermione asked. Alex just shrugged.

Just like in September, the carriages were being pulled by the strange horse-like creatures. But this time, Luna was also able to see them.

"What do you suppose they are?" Neville asked.

"Who knows? But what do us three have in common that everyone else doesn't?" Harry asked.

"Come on, we're going to be late," Hermione said as she climbed into the carriage. The others followed her and they made their way up to the castle.

XxXxXxX

So far, January had been a rather dull month. There weren't anymore attacks on anyone, but still, no one relaxed an inch.

Harry was making his way up from the dungeons to the Infirmary the evening of the full moon. He was passing by the haunted bathroom only for his shoes to become soaked with water. There were loud wails and moans coming from the bathroom.

"What the hell is going on?" he wondered aloud. He slowly pushed the door to the bathroom open and immediately saw the ghost of a Hogwarts student. "Hello?"

The ghost turned to him.

"Come to throw more books at me, have you?" she asked.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"I don't know. Here I am, minding my own business and someone thinks it's funny to throw books at me. Who are you anyway?" the ghost asked.

"I'm Harry Potter, and you?" Harry replied.

"Myrtle," the girl said.

"You said someone threw a book at you, where is the book?" he asked. Myrtle pointed at a soggy looking book underneath a sink. Harry pulled his wand and levitated it out from underneath the sink. Reaching out for it, he saw that the thing was fifty years old, and opening it to the first page, all that was written was a name. "T.M. Riddle."

Harry quickly noticed that there wasn't a single word written on the pages. It was strange. Flipping it to the back cover, he saw the name of the store it was purchased at and the street name.

"Vauxhall, London? Must have been a Muggle-born or something," Harry muttered. He pocketed the diary and ran up to the infirmary.

XxXxXxX

Harry showed it to the others the next evening when Pomfrey released him. They sat at a table in the farthest corner of the library.

"It's a fifty year-old diary with nothing in it," Alex deadpanned.

"Perhaps the ink is invisible," Neville suggested. Hermione drew her wand out from her bag and tapped the first page three times.

"_Aparecium_."

Nothing happened. The book remained completely blank.

"It's strange, why would this Riddle person have a diary and never bothers to write in it?" Hermione murmured.

"What I want to know, is why someone would have this diary in the first place, and then try to get rid of it," Harry said.

"Good point," Alex said. Harry flipped through all of the pages, frowning in thought. Finally, he clicked his pen and pressed it to the paper. The ink spread along the fibers of the paper. He lifted the tip and watched as the blue dot was absorbed by the paper, leaving it clean. He glanced at his friends before turning the page and finding it clean.

"Write something," Alex told him. Harry complied, writing a simple "hello" on the paper. The ink was again, absorbed and then to their shock, new words began to write themselves on the paper, in the ink Harry had used.

_"Hello, who are you and how did you come by my diary?"_

"Should I answer?" Harry asked the others. Hermione nodded. He placed his pen back to the page.

"My name is Harry Potter. I found it in the bathroom haunted by Moaning Myrtle. Someone tried to flush it down the toilet."

They waited with bated breath for the reply.

_"It is fortunate that my memories are recorded in a more lasting way than ink."_

"More lasting way? What does that mean?" Neville asked. Harry quickly wrote more.

"We don't understand, what do you mean by that?"

_"We?"_

"My friends and myself."

_"I'm afraid that I cannot tell you, it is unwise to trust a stranger."_

The group of second years looked at each other.

"What now?" Neville asked.

"Well, we know that Riddle was a Slytherin," Harry said. "Only a Slytherin could be so suspicious."

"What should we do with the diary then? I mean, sure, it can talk back, but it's clearly got the personality of this Riddle person. Should we give it to Dumbledore?" Alex asked.

"No, we can't trust him," Harry said firmly.

"Then who?"

"Professor Snape. He might have an idea of who this Riddle person is," Harry said.

"But Harry, Snape hadn't even been born yet fifty years ago," Hermione said.

"No, but I think it might be best to hand this in to him. We certainly can't trust Lockhart with it."

Hermione sighed, "all right Harry, but you have to give it to him. He doesn't seem to mind you as much as most of the other students," she told him.

"I'll give it to him tomorrow after classes are over," Harry said. With that, they headed back to their common rooms before curfew to turn in for the night.

**Hmmm, this wasn't the original ending to the chapter, but what I was planning and what I ended up writing for the next scene had been totally different. As a result, I'm going to have to juggle the pros and cons of what I had planned and what I'd like to attempt. Of course, I won't tell you what it is, that would ruin the surprise should I choose one of the options. I will at least give you the hint, that the unplanned option will be a big leap away from canon.**

**Anyway, on to important news that pertains to my updates. I'm starting a new update schedule to **_**ENSURE**_**that I don't neglect one fic for another. If anyone has noticed, I'm basically juggling three stories at the moment. So here's how it's going to work. From now on, I will update my stories in alphabetical order, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll try to update each story at least once every two-four weeks. This means that Dance of the Full Moon will be updated first in the cycle. I'm really hoping that this plan is a success.**


	16. 2:7 :: Forsaken

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 16: Forsaken

Harry set the diary down in front of Professor Snape. The professor raised an eyebrow and gave it a prod with his wand.

"Where did you find this Mr. Potter?" the man asked.

"I found it in the haunted girls' bathroom. I heard Moaning Myrtle in there sobbing and the floor around the area was flooded with water so I looked inside. She said that someone had thrown a book at her. So I took it with me."

"How long has it been in your possession?"

"Since the last full moon, that's when I found it," Harry said. "Sir, the diary – it answers back."

"Explain."

"Well, if you were to write the word 'hello' in it, the diary will say 'hello' back. I think it has Riddle's personality embedded into it."

"May I ask why you chose to come to me? Why not go to the Headmaster, or even Professor Lockhart?" Severus asked.

"To be honest sir, I don't entirely trust Professor Dumbledore at the moment. And Lockhart is nothing but a fraud. He wouldn't know what to do with himself if he walked into a room filled with people that weren't falling at his feet."

The corners of Severus' lips turned up slightly at Harry's statement.

"Very well, I will inspect this diary properly at another time. You may go now Mr. Potter. And forty points to Ravenclaw."

Harry nodded and moved to leave the office when someone knocked on the door. Harry opened the door and Ginny stepped inside.

"Professor, I wanted to ask you a – that's mine!" she blurted.

"Excuse me?" Severus questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Th-that diary. It's mine," she answered, gesturing to the diary sitting on Severus' desk.

"Are you aware Miss Weasley, that the previous owner of this diary embedded his personality into it?"

"I – yes sir," she replied.

"Surely your father would have warned you of the dangers of an item such as this," Severus said.

"He did. I wasn't thinking," Ginny answered.

"Then why did you not tell anyone about it?"

"Because he would know if I did," Ginny said.

"Who?"

Ginny's lip trembled and she bit down on it.

"To whom do you refer to?" Severus asked sharply.

"T-Tom, he's inside my head. He won't get out. I could hear him, even after I'd tried to get rid of the diary. He's done nothing but yell at me. I ruined his plans," Ginny said.

"What plans?"

"I – I was the one that opened the Chamber of Secrets! He told me to. He said that I could prove to everyone that I wasn't weak. I'm so sorry Professor! I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. I didn't know what I was doing. He promised me the world, and I listened because everyone else was against me."

Ginny fell to her knees and wept.

"Miss Weasley, do you know where the Chamber is?" Severus asked gently. She shook her head.

"I was never in my right mind whenever the attacks happened. I knew that I caused them, but I had no control over my body. There were gaps in my memory and sometimes I'd find myself in places where I wasn't there before."

Harry knelt next to the girl and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You couldn't have known that first time what would happen," he said.

"But I didn't do anything after that. I felt awful, but I didn't say anything like I should have. I was too afraid. Ron and Percy were being so mean to me, I just – I just wanted someone to listen to me, and he did. He said that he'd never leave me, that he'd find a way to give me everything I wanted. And I listened!"

"There are far older and wiser that have fallen for such words Miss Weasley. There is nothing to be ashamed of," Severus told her. "I do not wish to ask such a question, but I feel that I must. Do you know what it is that is attacking the other students?"

"Some kind of snake, because I can sometimes hear myself speaking Parseltongue," Ginny replied. Severus looked at Harry. Harry nodded and gave Ginny's shoulders a final squeeze.

"It's going to be okay Ginny, you don't have to worry anymore," Harry told her as he stood up. Harry slipped out the door and made his way up to the entrance hall.

"Mr. Potter, could you please come with me?"

Harry turned to face Professor McGonagall. Neville and Percy were with her.

"Professor, what's going on?" Harry asked. McGonagall didn't reply, she simply made her way up the nearest staircase.

XxXxXxX

"Now, this may be a bit of a shock, but I felt that you should see this," she said as she pulled open the doors to the Hospital Wing.

Percy let out a choked sob, "Penny!" He raced to the side of the Ravenclaw prefect.

"H-Harry, look," Neville whimpered.

"Alex," Harry murmured. They stepped towards the bed where Alex's Petrified body lay. Harry's eyes were drawn to the next bed over.

"Hermione!"

Harry was at her side in a moment. Her face had a look of shock on it, as did the other two girls. He touched her face lightly, she was still warm, but she wasn't moving. Harry placed a hand on hers, rubbing circles onto her hand with his thumb. Her skin was as hard as stone.

Harry could feel anger beginning to burn up inside him. It was hot! Too hot! Harry growled and tugged at the tie around his neck. Another snarl rumbled deep in his chest. His skin itched horribly and his bones were aching something fierce.

"Harry? Are you okay?" Neville asked, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry whipped around and barked. Neville leapt away and watched as Harry fell onto all fours.

"Mr. Longbottom, come away from him," McGonagall called, gesturing for Neville to get behind her.

Harry rose back onto his feet and ripped at his clothes. It was too hot to be wearing them and the collar of his shirt was beginning to choke him. His body was being pinched uncomfortably in various places and buttons on the front of his shirt began to pop out.

"Poppy! Poppy, we have an emergency!"

Madame Pomfrey appeared from her office and the moment she saw Harry, her wand was out.

"Oh goodness, he's completely lost control. Minerva, I need your help getting him into his room," Poppy said. She waved her wand and the door to Harry's room swung open. "Mr. Potter, can you hear me?"

Harry growled and snarled as the change took over completely. Poppy moved away as McGonagall slipped into her Animagus form and circled Harry. As far as they knew, she was the only one safe from Harry's bite.

Neville and Percy backed away as Harry fell onto all fours and threw his head back in a howl. They stared at the jet black, shaggy wolf before them. Its lip curled back revealing long sharp teeth. Bright green eyes glowed with anger at them.

There was a trill from the Infirmary door and Fawkes burst into the room in a flash of flames. It circled around the wolf and began to sing. A sleepy calm settled over everyone in the room and the wolf barked in response. It growled, the fur on its shoulders standing on end. Fawkes' song became louder and the phoenix dove at the wolf. Jaws snapped at Fawkes' but he gracefully evaded the rows of sharp teeth. The wolf was growling weakly, not really trying to sound menacing at this point. It turned a couple circles before hopping up onto the bed Hermione occupied and curled up at her feet and quickly fell asleep.

"Harry?" Neville whispered. The wolf's left ear twitched, as if responding to the boy.

"Messrs. Weasley and Longbottom, would be so kind as to come with me please?"

They spun to see Dumbledore standing in the doorway, Fawkes sitting on his shoulder.

"Headmaster?" Percy asked.

"Come," Albus said softly. "Quietly please, there is no need to awaken Mr. Potter."

The two Gryffindors followed the headmaster from the Hospital Wing and they headed down towards the Albus' office. He murmured the password to the gargoyle guarding it and they headed up.

"Please have a seat," Albus requested. Both boys sank into the chairs in from the headmasters' desk. "Lemon Drop? No? All right then."

"Sir, what happened in the Hospital Wing?" Percy asked.

"What I am about to tell you both must never be repeated outside of his room without mine or Mr. Potter's express permission. Do you understand me?"

Both nodded furiously.

"As you have just seen, our young Harry is a werewolf. It is rare for the wolf to attempt a takeover like that, but from what Professor Snape has told me, Mr. Potter has a connection with his wolf that most other werewolves do not. The sight of two people he cares for greatly. Two members of his pack were attacked by something he could not protect them from, and it responded by taking control of Mr. Potter's emotions and body."

"Is that where he goes every month? He needs to transform?" Neville asked.

"Yes. There is a room visible only to myself, Madam Pomfrey and Mr. Potter in the Hospital Wing. He is locked in there for the full moon. The wards are powerful, and can only be opened from the outside by Madam Pomfrey's magical signature. The residents of the castle are completely safe during that night of the month."

"Headmaster, is Harry registered? I'm certain there would have been headlines if he was," Percy said.

"No, I felt that it'd be safer for him if he was not registered. However, it is his choice if he does wish to be registered. I understand you would wish to report this Mr. Weasley, but can you think of how the public would react if they learned that Mr. Potter was a 'dark creature'?"

"They'd rip him to pieces," Neville murmured.

"Yes, the media has a habit of painting celebrities in whichever light they want in order to make a larger profit. It is worse for Mr. Potter because he doesn't have the advantage of knowing the laws on underage celebrities."

"I'll make sure Harry knows them then. There's no reason for him to suffer because he doesn't know something that's so important to his life," Neville declared.

"Your loyalty to you friends is quite admirable Mr. Longbottom," Dumbledore said, giving the boy a small smile.

"I did say you'd do well in Hufflepuff, but I still think you'll do even better as a Gryffindor," the Hat said from his spot atop one of the Headmaster's bookcases.

"It's getting quite late now, both of you should head back to your dormitories. Please be careful."

"Good night Professor Dumbledore," Percy said on their way out.

Once the door was closed Dumbledore slumped in his seat, suddenly looking like his one-hundred fifty years.

"Oh Fawkes, I'm getting too old for this. What do you think?"

Fawkes flapped his wings and trilled.

"I guess I can make it a few more years. But when it's time to go, I'd best make sure Harry's prepared."

Dumbledore stroked the wood of his desk, thinking deeply.

XxXxXxX

Harry woke up shivering. He was freezing despite the blanket covering his bare body.

"What?" Harry murmured aloud. He pushed himself up and saw that he was curled up at the foot the bed Hermione was laying on. He blushed deeply and pulled the blanket around his body. "What happened?"

"Your wolf took control."

Harry's head snapped up to see Poppy standing before him, a stack of neatly folded clothes in her arms.

"Oh Merlin, was anyone hurt?"

"Luckily no, Fawkes appeared and was able to calm you."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"But Mr. Longbottom, and Percy Weasley know of what you are now," Poppy went on as she handed him his clothes. Harry's breath hitched, and his arms felt weak as they trembled to hold him up. "There's no need to be worrying, the Headmaster has sworn them both to secrecy about it." Harry didn't look anymore relieved. "Now get dressed and go down to breakfast."

Harry wrapped the blanket around himself and he walked towards the bathroom to change.

"Honestly, I have sons of my own that I had to change and wash, there isn't anything you have that they don't," Poppy admonished, hands on her hips. Harry didn't hear her though.

'No, Neville knows. What am I going to do? Will he hate me? Probably. Werewolves are dark creatures after all.'

Harry changed without noticing what he was doing. He stepped out of the bathroom, and with one final glance at Hermione, he left the Infirmary.

XxXxXxX

Harry sat alone at the Ravenclaw table, pushing his breakfast around his plate. He didn't realize anyone had sat beside him until a hand came out to grip his. He knew that hand.

"How are you feeling?" Neville asked.

"Why do you care?"

"Because you're my best friend Harry. It's part of the job description."

'He doesn't hate me. I'm his best friend?'

"If you think I'm going to be like Ron over something so silly, then you clearly don't know me well enough."

"I – thanks Neville, it means a lot."

Harry finally turned to face his friend. Neville smiled.

"It's no problem. Now, you need to eat. I'm sure you're tired."

Harry grinned and tucked into his food. He was already beginning his second helping of eggs when McGonagall ran into the Great Hall. Her robes fluttered around her, and the bun her hair was tied into was loose. She leaned forward to speak with Dumbledore in hushed tones. Dumbledore rose to his feet.

"Prefects, would you please take your houses back to your common rooms. Teachers, please follow me," he announced calmly.

There was much grumbling as everyone was forced to abandon their plates. Harry quickly stuffed some eggs and a slice of bacon into a roll and wrapped it in a napkin. He glanced over to make sure Neville had made back over to the Gryffindor table. His friend was walking beside Dean Thomas as the Gryffindors were lead by an ashen Percy.

'Must still be upset over what happened to Penelope,' Harry thought.

"Potter!"

Harry turned at the sound of his name being called. Blaise Zabini ran up to him.

"Have you seen Ginny?"

"Not since last night, why?"

"She's been missing since then. She went to talk to Professor Snape and didn't come back," Blaise told him.

"Have you asked Snape?"

"He said he sent Ginny back to the common room at about eight o'clock, but she didn't come back."

"Have you told anyone?"

"I ran into McGonagall and told her she was missing," Blaise said.

"Zabini, get over here!" the Slytherin prefect called. Blaise ran back after promising to keep Harry updated on Ginny's whereabouts.

Harry made his way up to the common room alone, something wasn't right. Everything about the situation felt very wrong and it bothered him. The four houses returned to their common rooms, and Harry paced back and forth. His year mates watching him curiously. It was an hour or so later that Professor Flitwick entered.

"Mr. Potter, may I speak to you?" he requested.

"Is there something wrong Professor?" Harry asked. They stepped out for a moment, and Harry felt dread sink deep into his stomach.

"You were friends with Miss Weasley, correct?" Professor Flitwick asked.

"Yes sir, I defended her from Ron," Harry answered.

"I'm sorry to tell you that the monster that lurks within the Chamber of Secrets has taken her."

"What?"

"Please Mr. Potter, step back inside."

Harry came back into the common room and immediately headed for the dormitory. He opened up his trunk and pulled out both his invisibility cloak and the Marauders' Map.

"Thank you Fred and George," he murmured before sweeping the cloak over himself.

'I know what I'm doing is complete and utter suicide, but what other option have I got?' Harry thought.

As he walked the empty halls, he pondered over what to do. Glancing down at the map Harry came to a decision when he saw Mikan hanging about the Gryffindor portrait hole.

Harry quickly made it to the floor that the Gryffindor Tower where he scooped up Mikan. She hissed in fright before realizing who it was that held her. Harry whispered urgently into her ear, hoping, praying Mikan would understand. He set the cat down and she immediately approached the Fat Lady's frame and scratched at it, meowing piteously.

"Poor thing, here," the portrait opened slightly and Harry dove in before the frame could shut again. Casting his eyes about the common room, he spotted Neville and the twins sitting in a darkened corner, both looking subdued. Percy was sitting by the fire, tears silently streaming down his face. Ron was notably absent from the common room, much to Harry's disdain.

Moving carefully, Harry sneaked up to them and threw the Cloak over the three. Neville had little reaction to it, but Harry quickly threw his hands over the mouths of the twins.

"Shhh!" Harry hissed quietly. "Follow me."

Mikan remained by the entrance and pushed it open to allow the four boys to slip out. They moved down the hall and hid inside an abandoned classroom.

"What's going on Harry?" Neville asked.

"Where'd you get…"

"…the cloak?" the twins asked.

"It was my father's, and we're going to the Chamber of Secrets to save Ginny," Harry said. The three Gryffindor's stared at him. "Do you want your baby sister to be eaten by a big snake?"

"Wait, so the monster's a snake?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, Ginny told Snape that, but I don't know of any snakes that would petrify people like it's been doing," Harry said.

"Do you even know…"

"…where the Chamber is?"

"I might have an idea, come on."

Maneuvering the castle with four people under the Cloak was slow going, but eventually, they made it to the first floor. Harry led them towards the haunted bathroom. They were getting close when they collided with Lockheart. Harry did his best not to curse.

Lockheart pulled himself to his feet, wand raised.

"Alright then, who's there? Show yourself! I'm warning you! I am a highly trained professional!" Neville stifled a laugh before drawing his wand.

"_Expelliarmus_," he whispered. Lockheart squeaked girlishly when his wand was pulled from his grasp. Neville caught it and Harry threw the Cloak off of them. The professor looked thoroughly frightened at having four wands pointed at him.

"Move away from that door Professor," Harry spoke evenly, his nervousness easily hidden. When Lockheart only stared, Harry flashed out and easily lifted the man off his feet by the collar of his robes. Lockheart whimpered at the show of strength.

"W-were…"

"That's right; you don't want to piss me off at the moment, no move. Or would you rather come with us?"

Lockheart took a deep breath and Harry easily saw the air of bravado the man adopted.

"Right, it would be best if you had an adult with you. Now, where are you four headed?"

"The Chamber of Secrets," Neville answered. Lockheart blanched at the announcement.

"Fred, George, make sure the good Professor doesn't try any funny stuff," Harry ordered.

"Aye, aye Cap'n," they saluted with wide grins. The twins gave Lockheart a jab to propel him forward.

"Neville, Binns said that someone died the last time the Chamber was opened, right?" Harry asked.

"In one of the girls' lavatories."

"I get the feeling that she never really left," Harry said.

Myrtle giggled when Harry entered the bathroom.

"Hello Harry," she said shyly.

"Hi Myrtle. Can we ask you a question?"

"Of course Harry," she said softly.

"How did you die?" Harry asked her slowly.

"I don't know. I was hiding in my stall when I heard someone come in. There was a boy's voice. He was talking in a funny language, it sounded like he was hissing. I opened up the stall to tell him to go away, and then I died," she chirped. "But I remember, there was a pair of great big eyes over there."

Myrtle pointed towards the row of sinks. Harry approached them and saw that one of the faucets had a snake decorating it.

"That tap's never worked for as long as I've been here," Myrtle said helpfully.

"This is it guys. The entrance to the Chamber."

"How do you know?" Neville asked.

"The monster's a big snake, and the only way to communicate with a snake is through Parseltongue."

"But none of us can speak Parseltongue," Fred said. Harry spun to face them.

"None of you can tell anyone about this, promise?" Harry requested.

"What are we promising?" George gave him a look.

"Professor Snape is the only one that knows about this, I knew that if it got out, I'd be facing a ton of trouble."

"Harry? Just how many secrets do you that?" Neville asked.

"Only one really big one, and one moderately sized one. Promise."

"We trust you Harry…"

"…to do what you have to…"

"…to save Ginny."

"Right, let's see if this works."

Harry faced the sink again and taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he opened his mouth and a hiss came from him.

_"Open up."_

The entire sink sank into the floor and out of sight. In its place was a large gaping hole.

"How for do you think it goes?" Neville asked.

"Let's find out, shall we? Fred, George."

Lockheart was pushed forward by the twins and fell into the darkness of the pipe. The man cried out as he slid through the pipe. His cries getting fainter and fainter until only Harry could hear him. Lockheart came to a sudden stop and groaned.

"It's really quite disgusting down here," he groaned.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Harry asked them before jumping in. Neville seemed to hesitate until the twins grabbed him by the arms and followed Harry down.

The twins were cackling gleefully the whole way down. Harry spotted several other tunnels leading off in other directions, but his speed prevented him from getting a good look at them.

He landed and rolled, coming up to see Lockheart looking both white and green. Harry stepped aside as Neville and the twins landed in a heap. The gathered themselves up and looked about in the near darkness.

"Blimey! We must be miles underneath the lake," Neville exclaimed. His voice echoed around them. They began moving forward, carefully picking their way over the skeletons of long dead animals.

"Harry, we've just remembered…" Fred began.

"Remembered what?"

"You know how you said that the monster is some kind of big snake right?" George asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, we know what kind of snake it is…"

"…it's a basilisk. The king of snakes."

Neville gasped. Harry quickly scanned through his memories, trying to remember if he'd ever read anything about basilisks. Shockingly, he hadn't.

"What do you know about them?" Harry asked.

"Well, there's this ancient book on Magizoology that we skimmed once. It said that basilisks have wicked poison in their fangs, and that simply looking into their eyes can kill you."

"Then why hasn't anyone died then?" Neville asked.

"Because no one has looked at it directly."

"What do you mean?"

"The first attack on Mrs. Norris, she saw a reflection. Colin saw it through his camera lens. Finch-Fletchley saw it through Sir Nicholas, who can't die again. And the girls…Clearwater was holding a Muggle cosmetic compact."

There was movement next to Neville as Lockheart fainted.

"Great wizard he is," Fred said sarcastically. Lockheart leapt up and grabbed Neville's wand.

"So sorry boys, I'm afraid we won't be going any further. All I have to do is go back up and say I tried to save you before you were eaten by the basilisk. I was unable to save you. And none of you will ever remember this day!"

Lockheart raised the wand and prepared to cast a spell.

"No don't – !"

Neville's voice was drowned out by Lockheart's.

_"Obliviate!"_

Neville's wand exploded in a bright flash. The boys scattered as chunks of the ceiling collapsed under the force of the blast. When the dust settled Harry saw the wall of rock separating him from the others.

"You guys okay over there?" he called.

"Yeah! But Lockheart, the spell backfired!" Fred replied.

"How?"

"Oh, Gran's going to murder me! That was my father's wand!" Neville moaned.

"Why did it blow up like that?" Harry asked.

"My father was an Auror during the last war against You-Know-Who. Everyone was horribly paranoid back then. He knew that if anyone tried to impersonate him and take his wand, it'd be horrible, so he spelled his wand to react to his signature, and only his. My Gran had to have it changed so that it would work for me. If anyone who isn't me or my father tried to use it, the wand would self-destruct."

"That's wicked," the twins said. Harry could picture the grins on their faces.

"Guys, I'm going to go on ahead. We're wasting too much time. Ginny's been down hear for over twelve hours at the most."

"We'll try and move some of this rock so you can get through," Neville said.

"I'll-I'll try and be back in an hour. If I'm not…" Harry's voice faded, and so did some of his confidence.

"Good luck Harry," Neville said slowly. The fear was clear in his voice. Harry took a deep breath before moving onward into the tunnel.

After a few minutes, he came across a huge snake skin.

'Oh God. If the skin is this big, the basilisk must be huge.' Harry thought as he stepped over the coils. Nervousness settled in his stomach, but he could feel the Wolf stirring deep within him. Harry continued, his wand lighting the way, and casting his shadow against the wall, morphing it into something monstrous.

Harry turned a corner and came face to face with a dead end. Carved on a wall were two entwined serpents, with large emeralds for eyes. Harry stepped closer, frogs hopping about in his stomach. He licked his lips and took a calming breath.

_"Open."_

**Hi! I hope no one's too angry about taking so long. I started my first semester of college and then I couldn't find much time to write anything. And when I could, nothing was coming to me. So, yeah. I finally got this done, and I start the new semester on Monday…Yeah you can probably guess what's going to happen. Sorry.**


	17. 2:8 :: The Bird and the Worm

Dance of the Full Moon

Sakura Hanamoto

Chapter 17: The Bird and the Worm

Harry stepped through the doorway and studied his new surroundings. The walls and floor were damp and mossy in places. Even with his enhanced eyesight, Harry couldn't quite make out the ceiling. After a certain point, all he could see above him was deep darkness. The pillars that lined the chamber were lit by dim torches, casting eerie shadows over the carved snakes decorating them.

Harry's footsteps echoed across the walls, giving the illusion that there was more than one person walking about. Harry moved slowly, his wand at the ready. He didn't know where the basilisk was hiding, but he wasn't taking any chances. He reached the end of the chamber and saw a tall statue. It stood as high as the ceiling and Harry could faintly make out the face at the top.

Harry snorted derisively. 'Pretentious much?' he though. The tall statue of Salazar Slytherin stood watch over the entire chamber. Harry pulled his gaze away from the face and noticed a bright splotch of color at Slytherin's feet.

"Shit, Ginny!" he cried, running towards the prone figure on the floor. He slipped over the damp floor and ended up sliding over the ground towards the girl. Harry pocketed his want and lifted Ginny up. Her skin was icy and pale to the touch.

"Ginny, wake up! C'mon Ginny, you need to wake up," Harry said franticly. She didn't respond. He shook her gently, and she still didn't move. Harry lifted her into his arms and turned back towards the entrance.

"It's too late to save her."

Harry spun around and nearly lost his balance from carrying Ginny. Before him stood a tall teen with dark hair, pale skin, and dark eyes.

"You-you're Tom Riddle!"

"Well, well, the house of Ravenclaw shall not be disappointed with you, it seems," Tom said softly. "There is little purpose in removing Ginny from here. There is nothing you can do to save her."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. As he gazed at the older boy, he noticed how the boy looked oddly fuzzy around the edges, like an out of focus photograph.

"Poor little Ginny, outcast by her brothers, and her own house. Having no one to turn to, she poured all of her being into my diary. She came to love me. I listened, I was sympathetic. The more she wrote, the stronger I became. By Halloween I was strong enough to possess her body and mind. She became my puppet."

"Diary? The one I found in the girls' lavatory."

"Yes, that's right. Imagine my surprise when the next person to write within those pages was not whiny little Ginny, but you of all people, Harry Potter. Ginny told me all about you, you know. She went on and on about how kind and wonderful you were, and yet you never seemed to notice her. She told me of how you – as an infant – defeated the greatest wizard to have ever walked this earth."

"What do you care? His rise was after your time Riddle!"

"That's where you're wrong Harry Potter. You're an intelligent boy; surely you can figure it out. The Dark Lord Voldemort is my past, present and future."

"You're him. You're Voldemort," Harry whispered.

"Good boy. You deserve a treat," Tom sneered, the expression looking foreign no his handsome face, "and I've just the treat for you."

Tom spun on his heel to face the statue of Salazar Slytherin.

"Speak to me greatest of Hogwarts four!" his voice carried a soft hiss as he spoke. The statues mouth dropped open and Harry could hear something moving around inside.

_So hungry…must feed…_

Harry put Ginny back down and ran. There was a rumbling thud and he knew that the basilisk had been released.

"Kill him!" Tom ordered. Harry heard a hiss and the sound of the huge snake slithering across the floor, coming towards him.

'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! How do I protect myself from that thing?' Harry thought frantically. Harry was so preoccupied with running that he failed to see the wide crack in the floor. He tripped over it and fell hard. There was a rather loud crack underneath him. He pushed himself up only to see the broken pieces of his wand lying on the floor.

"No," he murmured. The only thing holding the two ends of his wand together was the phoenix feather inside. Harry dove out of the way as the basilisk's tail came down to crush him. The monster's massive weight shattered the holly wood with little effort.

Harry ducked behind a pillar just as a musical trill sounded from the end of the chamber near the entrance. A brilliant flash of flames announced the appearance of Fawkes the phoenix.

"Fawkes!" Harry cried, hope swelling in his chest. The phoenix swooped down upon the basilisk, talons extended and ready to attack. Harry watched in fascination as the bird easily out maneuvered the large snake, diving about irritating the basilisk and pecking at its large eyes. The snake hissed in pain as Harry moved around to escape its flailing body. Fawkes flew out of the basilisk's way as it sniffed about.

_"Smell him! Kill him!"_ Tom hissed in irritation.

Harry ran back towards the statue and found himself backed against its feet. Harry closed his eyes and waited for the basilisk to kill him. There was a howling hiss and a rumbling thud. He cracked his eyes open to see the snake several feet away. There was something warm resting against his leg. Harry felt for it, and found the charm Jon had given to him. It was warm to the touch and magic pulsed from the four charms. He stared at it for a moment

'What is this thing doing?' Harry thought, momentarily forgetting about the huge snake trying to eat him. The pulsing magic became stronger until it glowed steadily with a deep blue glow. The light intensified and the weight in Harry's hand increased. He watched as a blade grew from one side of the hand guard and a hilt on the other. Soon a full length katana rested in his hand. He gave it an experimental swing and marveled at its craftsmanship. He was brought back to the present at the sound of Fawkes' cry and the sound of the basilisk hissing. Harry adjusted his stance, his feet shoulder width apart and gripped the hilt in both hands. The basilisk came closer and closer, its jaw wide ready to bite down on him.

With a feeling of great strength and renewed energy flowing through him, Harry dodged away from the great snake and leapt back, falling back into the stance. The King of Snakes came at him again and as it bore down on him Harry leapt forward, through all of his weight and strength into a single thrust. He let lose an animalistic roar as the blade pierced through the roof of the basilisk's mouth, puncturing the venom sacs and cutting into the brain. His right arm suddenly felt cold and looking down he saw that one of the basilisk's huge fangs had pierced his arm.

"No," Harry whispered. He pulled the katana from the dead snake and fell to his knees. With a gasp, he bent over and clutched at his scarred shoulder. The Lycanthropy virus running through his veins fought for dominance over the basilisk venom, but it was too potent. Harry did his best to relax and allow Death to wrap around him.

His vision began to blur and his eyelids grew heavy.

"You may have killed my basilisk, but now, you too will die," Tom said contemptuously. There was a look of triumph on his face. Harry blinked as he struggled to focus on the tall blur above him. Harry took a shuddering breath as a gentle weight settled on his knee. Fawkes trilled and dropped the diary before Harry. Fawkes pruned his loose hair to encourage him. Harry tightened his grip on the katana and slowly raised it above the diary.

"What are you doing? Do you think that will save her?"

"I won't know until I try," Harry responded through clenched teeth. He brought the katana down with what was left of his strength, the blade easily pierced through the leather cover and straight through the paper to the other side. Ink spurted form the opening and Tom cried out in pain and clutched his face. His face seemed to be cracking. Harry pulled the katana back out and stabbed at the diary again. Tom screamed and his body cracked further before collapsing into itself with a flash of sickly green light. Harry flopped over onto his side.

'Well, I can't say I've had the best life. But it hasn't been too bad I suppose. There are people who have had it a hell of a lot worse than me.'

Everything was fading out.

"Harry!"

'Who is that? I can hear a voice? Who is it?'

"Fawkes, help!"

Harry's vision began to clear.

'This isn't as bad as I thought. It doesn't hurt anymore.'

"Thank Merlin! Harry!"

His torso was lifted and he found his face buried in something bright red. There was a weight on his knee.

"Mum? Am I dead?"

"Harry? It's me, Ginny! You saved me, you saved me from Tom!"

"G-Gin?"

"Yeah. Fawkes, he, he _healed_ you! He was crying on your arm, and then the wound disappeared. It was amazing."

Ginny finally released her grip on him and Harry fell over onto his back.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm exhausted. No more fighting giant snakes. Sleepy…" Harry slurred. Ginny huffed.

"If you're going to sleep, you can do it in the hospital wing, now get off your arse!"

Ginny picked up his arm and let go. It flopped on the ground and Harry groaned. He finally pushed himself into a sitting position. Fawkes trilled and Harry smiled.

"Thank you Fawkes. I had accepted my death, but I'm not quite ready yet. There's still much for me to do before I go on."

Fawkes puffed out his chest and flapped his wings. Harry laughed. He slowly pushed himself to his feet.

"Can you walk Ginny?"

"I think so, but my muscles feel funny. Like I haven't moved in years."

"I'd carry you, but that venom did a number on me," Harry said. He bent over and helped Ginny to her feet. He threw one of her arms over his shoulders and began walking towards the entrance. Fawkes took off from the floor and flew above them. He swooped down and dropped something into Harry's free hand.

'Oh, I forgot about the charm. Oops.'

Harry shoved it into a pocket and carried on.

XxXxXxX

"Nev! You there?" Harry called through the rubble.

"Harry! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, so is Ginny!"

"Thank Merlin; we were so worried about you!" Neville said. He shifted a rock and Harry could see the others through the opening.

"Make the hole bigger so we can fit," he said.

"Right. We'll only be a few minutes."

They could hear rocks being shifted around and soon, the opening was large enough for both Harry and Ginny to fit through. Ginny crawled through and was immediately squished between the twins.

"Fred! George!" she gasped as they hugged her tightly.

"Don't you ever do that again!" they roared. Ginny smiled as they let go. Whatever strength she had left her and Fred immediately picked her up and placed her on George's back.

"'M not a baby anymore," Ginny mumbled as her eyes drifted shut. George shifted her weight on his back until she was resting comfortably.

"How do we get out of here?" Neville asked.

"Fawkes, can you carry us out of here?" Harry asked the bird. Fawkes trilled and lifted Lockhart by the shoulders. Fred grabbed onto the man's feet, while George maneuvered his hands so he was holding onto Ginny and Fred. Neville had a tight grip on George, while Harry brought up the rear. Fawkes flew the group out of the long tunnel and back into the girls' bathroom. From there, they made their way up to the headmaster's office.

Along the whole way, Lockhart kept making remarks over everything he saw in the halls. He stopped to stare at a painting and Neville had to drag him off and kept a hold on the man's robes the rest of the way. The gargoyle moved aside before Harry could speak the password.

They marched up the spinning staircase and Harry pushed the office door open. As soon as they were all inside Fred and George found themselves being crushed in their mother's arms.

"Oh! You saved her!"

Mrs. Weasley hugged both boys and jostled Ginny awake.

"Mummy?" she mumbled.

"Oh, my little girl, you're okay!"

"Molly, she needs to breath," Mr. Weasley said.

"Mr. Potter, may you please explain what's going on?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded and collapsed into one of the chairs. Neville steered Lockhart into the unoccupied seat and forced him into it.

Harry began to speak, but as the story unfolded, the students began to nod off and so did Harry.

"I think you'd best all head to the infirmary. Arthur, Molly, if you'd please take them. Have Poppy give them some hot chocolate and send them to bed," Dumbledore told them. "Oh, and take Professor Lockhart with you too please."

"Of course Headmaster," Mrs. Weasley said. "Come along children."

The five children trailed after the woman with Mr. Weasley leading Lockhart along.

Madame Pomfrey had them cleaned up and changed into pajamas in no time. Soon, they were lying in bed each having finished a mug of hot chocolate laced with a small dose of Dreamless Sleep. It wasn't long before they all were asleep.

XxXxXxX

The Weasleys returned the Dumbledore's office once everyone was put to bed.

"I am truly sorry for the trauma your daughter has faced," Dumbledore said. "I am ashamed to call myself headmaster if I let something such as this occur. I feel that I should take responsibility and I will arrange for a mind-healer from St. Mungo's to come and speak with your daughter."

"That's very kind of you Headmaster but –," Arthur was cut off.

"You do not have to worry over expenses; I will pay for them myself."

The two were utterly shocked. They never knew the Headmaster to be so generous.

"Thank you so very much," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Not at all. It is the least I could do for Ginevra," Dumbledore said as he rose from his seat. "Now, I'm sure you both are exhausted. I will have a house-elf show you to some spare sleeping quarters."

Dumbledore snapped his fingers and a house-elf appeared.

"Yes Master Headmaster sir?" the house-elf asked.

"Please show the Weasleys a spare room to stay the night."

The house-elf bowed, "of course Master Headmaster sir. Please be following Lotty."

With that, they left the office. Dumbledore sagged in his chair and scrubbed at his face tiredly.

"That was an admirable thing to do Albus," one of the portraits behind him said.

"Thank you Eoessa. But I wonder if in the end, I will have done enough to fix the mistakes I have made. There are so many."

"You will manage Albus, after all, you yourself are a powerful wizard, you have a few more centuries ahead of you," another portrait said.

"I somehow doubt that."

**So, I decided to end the chapter here, just so I can post this before school starts in three weeks. I tried to get it done sooner but this chapter was oddly difficult. Hope you enjoyed reading it. I think I'll be making the chapters a little shorter from now on so it's easier to get them up. Thanks for your patience. Year Two will end by the end of next chapter. Stay tuned!**


	18. 2:9 :: Another Day

Dance of the Full Moon

Chapter 18: Another Day

Sakura Hanamoto

Harry awoke slowly the next morning, but when he did, only he, Ginny, and Lockhart were still bedridden. Ginny was the only one still asleep, though it was fitful, she twitched and mumbled with frightening frequency.

Harry spotted Madame Pompfrey approaching the girl's bed the check on her. Just as she reached the bed, Ginny sat up, eyes wide, and screaming. Harry jumped in shock and winced at her voice pounding against his eardrums. Somehow he wasn't surprised Ginny's voice could be so loud and high. Living in a house with six boys, not to mention her mother had certainly trained her to be heard. Madame Pompfrey rushed over and wrapped her arms around Ginny. Ginny woke from her nightmare and slowly, with the aged woman whispering to her calmed and lay back down.

"Are Mum and Dad still here?" Ginny asked quietly.

"Yes, I can have them come in if you'd like," Pompfrey said. Ginny nodded. "I'll have a house-elf bring you something to eat. And Mister Potter, I'd like to know just how you managed to escape with only minimal injuries."

"Uh, well, I didn't. Not really - sort of," Harry stuttered.

"Explain."

"Well, you see, there was a basilisk and it might have bitten me," Harry whispered. The matron looked ready to faint. "But Fawkes cried on the bite and healed me."

"Hmph. Well young man, you certainly have a way with animals. Do you feel any side effects of the bite, or anything different since then?" Madame Pompfrey asked.

"No, not really. But I do feel lighter, like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders, and it feels like my head is clearer somehow. It's hard to describe."

"Well, just lay back and I will run some simple scans to see if there are any problems or abnormalities in your blood," Madame Pompfrey said as she pulled her wand from he robe pocket. Harry nodded and fell back into the pillows of his bed. Harry could feel Madame Pompfrey's magic running through him. It was a strange sensation that he couldn't remember feeling before.

"Madame Pompfrey, is it normal for me to feel another person's magic?" Harry asked quietly, he didn't want Ginny to hear him. She blinked in surprise.

"It's not unusual. Magically powerful witches and wizards are capable of it. Both the Headmaster and Professor Snape are capable of it. If I recall your mother could as well, but it wasn't until after she reached her majority."

"Why's that?"

"The development of a magical person's magic has benchmarks the same way the body has stages of growth. During infancy and the toddler years, a child's magic is similar in feeling to the mother's. During pregnancy the mother shares her magic with the fetus until birth. At the age of five or six, depending, the child's core is truly there own. That's when accidental magic starts to become more prevalent. Between the age of ten and twelve the magic becomes more managable, and that's why you begin your education at eleven. However, some healers speculate that puberty has an affect on magic, the hormones and chemicals running through the body makes the magic a little more difficult to control. Most witches and wizards experience a - growth spurt if you will - in their magic at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and again between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. Sometimes, a magically powerful child will experience these things sooner. Some become capable of feeling another's magic when it's in close proximity to themselves during the first growth spurt. It's likely that you are experiencing your first. I wouldn't worry about it. Both of your parents dealt with it fairly early."

"Oh, um, thank you for telling me. If the fetus shares a magical core with the mother, how does that explain muggleborns?" Harry asked.

"There have been theories that muggleborns are the descendents of squibs, and as the generations go by, the unusable core becomes larger and stronger until a magical child is born. Unfortunately, because squibs who end up in muggle society, having been abandoned by their parents make tracing lineages difficult. Geneaology potions only go back two or three generations. No one has developed one that can trace a bloodline back far enough. Or alternatively, Muggles also have magical cores that are very small and weak and therefore can't be used, except under extreme stress or pressure."

Harry nodded at the explanation, having read about it previously.

The door to the infirmary opened and Dumbledore entered.

"Madame Pompfrey, I was wondering if I may have a word with Mister Potter," he said by way of greeting.

"Yes, of course, I'll just order some breakfast for him," Madame Pompfrey said as she canceled the spells. "Your fine, you shouldn't have any lingering effects to the basilisk venom, or the pheonix tears." She told Harry before walking away. Dumbledore conjured a squashy and comfortable armchair and sat.

"Mister Potter, I'd like to begin by apologizing for my behavior. I thought I was doing the right thing by having you live with your uncle. I am aware that there is no love between you two, and I simply thought that under the right conditions, you would have become the hero the Wizarding World would need. I realize my mistake. As a Ravenclaw, you never would have developed the necessary tendencies for that to happen. I have spent too long being allowed as much control of the the affairs of others for too long. I have a duty to this school, first and foremost, and there again, I have failed. I nearly allowed a student to die under my care, again, and I can't let that happen.

"I have always insisted that I never wanted the position of Minister of Magic, but I confess there was a time when I would have enjoyed such a position of power. I'm only an old fool now. An old fool who despite his years and wisdom he may have acquired has allowed too much to be ignored. I intend to change Harry. I've spent too long manipulating from the shadows. I should have been a Slytherin, I have far more cunning than bravery. Cunning I have misused and abused over my desire to see a perfect world. I've come to see that that dream simply isn't possible. So long as I hold the power that I have, nothing like that will ever come to fruition."

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand what you're talking about," Harry said. A tray of food popped up on the bedside table and Harry reached for it.

"You are aware of the various positions I hold beyond the title of Headmaster. I intend on resigning all but my post here at Hogwarts. I need to take the consideration of the students into account. All of you should have been my priority, but I've allowed long dead glory and ambition rule over me. Can you forgive me for the things I have done to wrong you Harry? For the things I would have done for the greater good?"

"I-I don't know Headmaster. I'm only twelve sir, there can't have been much you did to wrong me. And, honestly, leaving me on a doorstep in the middle of autumn as a baby really wasn't smart. A lot could have gone horribly wrong that night, then where would you be? Honestly sir, I think you should lay off the lemon drops too, they might be doing something to your brain. No offence meant, sir."

Dumbledore only smiled and chuckled.

"I suppose I can begin with what I hope is a path to redemption by giving you this," Dumbledore handed a piece of parchment to Harry. "This man was an old friend of your parents. One of your father's closest friends in fact. When your parents passed, I requested that he have no contact with you. A grave mistake on my part in fact, especially considering your - ah - condition. You may get into contact with him if you wish."

"Thank you sir," Harry said, setting the parchment down on the bedside table.

"Well, I've a few things to attend to before I send in my resignations," Dumbledore said as he rose. Slowly, the Headmaster left the infirmary, truly appearing his one hundred and eleven years.

XxXxXxX

Harry and Ginny were released together and as soon as they stepped outside the doors of the hospital wing, they were accosted by friends. Blaise hugged Ginny tightly until Fred and George pulled him away and crushed their sister between them. Neville smiled at Harry, simply glad to know that he wasn't hurt.

It had already been announced that the one responsible for the petrification of several students had been dealt with but until the petrified students were restored, students were not allowed to walk the halls unattended. Teachers would escort them to classes and meals. Harry knew that the security measures would not last very long though. Once it was obvious that the rest of the school was safe things would return to normal.

"Neville, have you told your Gran about your father's wand?" Harry asked.

"Oh, no, not yet. I'm afraid of what she'll say. She's always wished I'd be more like my father," Neville said with a sigh.

"Just tell her that your wand was destroyed in the process of saving another student from danger, would that appease her?" Harry asked.

"I never thought of that. It just might work, and Merlin knows my father's wand was never very compatible with me. We'd better talk to our Heads of House too, we need to get them replaced soon," Neville said.

"That's right, we do. Hopefully we can go together," Harry suggested. Neville nodded and the group made there way towards the Great Hall for lunch. On the way they ran into Snape who escorted them the rest of the way. They broke off into groups and sat down at their respective tables. Harry slipped into a seat next to Luna and greeted her cheerfully.

"Hello Harry," she said, serving herself some green beans.

"Hello Luna, how are you this fine day?" Harry asked. Luna smiled.

"Oh, I'm quite well. It seems the Wrackspurts aren't bothering you any longer," she said as she took a bit of her roll.

"Wrackspurts? I don't think you've mentioned those before," Harry said. He tore into the roast beef sandwich he'd made as he waited for an explanation.

"They fly into your ears and make your head fuzzy. It happens when you think too much," Luna told him. Harry only nodded.

"I take it they infest the Eagle's Nest then?" he asked.

"Oh yes, but they can only be seen with Spectrespecs," Luna said, pulling a pair of strange glasses from her book bag.

"Is that what those are? I got a pair from the February issue of the Quibbler," Harry said, "I'll take a look at them when we get back to the Common Room."

Luna smiled and carried on eating.

XxXxXxX

Professor McGonagall lead Harry and Neville through Diagon Alley toiwards Ollivander's shop. She ushered them inside quickly and it wasn't long before the man himself appeared.

"Ah, Mister Potter. I didn't expect to see you again. I take it the pheonix feather did not work out?" he asked. Harry only nodded. Ollivander turned his attention to Neville.

"Hello Mister Longbottom. I had hoped to see you sooner. I assume you were gifted with a relative's wand?"

"Yes, I was using my father's up until last week," Neville said.

"Ah yes, I remember it well. Quite good for transfiguration, eh Professor McGonagall?"

"Yes, though not quite as good as James Potter," McGonagall said. Ollivander turned to the shelves of boxed wands.

"Let's begin with you Mister Longbottom, hold out your wand arm for me please."

Neville held up his right arm and the magical measuring tape got to work. Ollivander pulled boxes from shelves and began handing wands to Neville. Each one had a spectacularly destructive effect. The worst leaving Neville's face covered in soot and his hair singed.

"Most definitely not that one," Ollivander said as he took it back. Five more wands later, Neville had caused the dead potted plant on the counter to bloom back to life. He stared in shock. He looked at Ollivander and the aged man nodded. "Thirteen inches of cherry wood and unicorn hair, excellent."  
Ollivander whirled around to face Harry.

"How well was your wand working prior to it breaking?" Ollivander asked.

"Um, since the beginning of the year I've been having trouble casting some spells. Mostly controlling the strength of the spells."

"I see. It's not uncommon for a wizard to outgrow a wand. The wand my suit them at first, but a change in the wizard, usually in personality can cause the wand to not work as well for the wizard. So, it's not such a bad thing that your wand was broken. Now then, wand arm please, I'll see what I can do."

Harry held out his right arm and waited for Ollivander to hand him a wand.

"Here we are, let's try ten inches, ash, and dragon heartstring," the old man said. Harry took the wand and flicked it. There was a flash and a loud bang that left everyone momentarily blinded and their ears ringing. The wand was pulled from Harry's grip and set aside.

"Perhaps, twelve inches, alder and unicorn hair."

The windows shattered. McGonagall quickly repaired them while Ollivander handed Harry a third wand.

"I believe we have it with this one. Thirteen inches, rowan and the dragon heartstring from a particularly fierce male Hungarian Horntail."

The wand warmed in his light grip and his fingers tingled from it. Harry gasped as the tingling and warmth. He flicked the wand a rainbow of sparks erupted from it and circled Harry. When the display faded, Harry's eyes were bright with the magic simmering behind them.

"Yes, definitely, this is the one for you Mr. Potter. I think this one will work for you better than your previous wand."

They paid for the wands and left, the professor ushering both boys back to the Leaky Cauldron and through the floo into the headmaster's office. Harry rolled out of the fireplace and hopped to his feet. Neville stumbled behind him before catching himself. McGonagall came in behind them both, not a speck of soot on her, and looking just as stern as usual.

"Welcome back. I hope your trip was uneventful?" Dumbledore asked. He extended a plate of cookies to the boys and each took one.

"Yes sir," Harry said as he took a bite. The cookie was good and he finished it off quickly. "Excellent, now run along you two," Dumbledore said with a smile. Both boys stepped out of the office and headed to the library where Blaise and Ginny were waiting for them.

Ginny had been quiet and reserved since her released from the infirmary. Harry could tell that she had been scarred by the incident with Riddle's diary deeply. Only a trained professional could help her now. She had no problem being around other people, but she hadn't been sleeping well, having spent a few nights under the influence of a sleeping potions and much of the day drugged with Draught of Peace.

Blaise watched the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor approach.

"Did you get your new wands?" Blaise asked. Harry nodded, holding it up. Neville and Harry sank into empty chairs and sighed. It was strange not to have Alex or Hermione around and even the library felt too quiet.

XxXxXxX

Time continued to pass as the school waited for the mandrakes to mature. According to Professor Sprout, it wouldn't be long until then. But in the mean time, school life carried on. Students crammed for tests, struggled over homework and chattered excitedly over the upcoming quidditch matches.

The second years had been informed that they would have new classes to choose from for the next year. Harry, Neville and Blaise sat in the library as they mulled their choices over.

"Well, divination is pretty useless to anyone who doesn't have any natural pre-cognitive ability," Blaise sat, scratching the subject off his list. Neville and Harry did the same.

"What about the others?" Harry asked. So far, all but Muggle Studies sounded somewhat interesting to him.

"Think about it this way, the more classes you take, the more OWLS you have to take later, but if you do well on those and your NEWTS, the more career options you have," Blaise said.

"Yeah that's true, but with all of these classes, there's bound to be a schedule conflict with the core classes we still have to take," Harry said.

"Exactly."

The boys looked up to see Professor Snape enter the library.

"What do you mean professor?" Blaise asked.

"What Mr. Zabini said is true, however, many of the students who were taking all of the electives could not keep up with the work load and failed quite a bit, so now, only students who can with certainty keep up are allowed to, but even then it's not easy for them to get permission. At this point, most of the elective classes do interfere with other classes."

"Then, how are we supposed to decide, what if we choose an elective with a conflicting schedule?" Harry asked.

"It's all up to the headmaster. Well, mostly the headmaster, but the Board of Governors likes to stick their noses into such small matters as that. Most students don't even take Muggle Studies. It's outdated to the extent that even the Muggleborns have to look up information on the Victorian era."

"Victorian era? But that was a hundred years ago!" Harry exclaimed.

"Yes, well, most wizards are rather slow to accept change. They forget how quickly Muggle culture changes. I would suggest removing Muggle Studies from your options as well," Snape said before approaching Madam Pince's desk to speak to her. The three boys did so.

"If you ever need to know about the Muggle world, you can always ask myself, Hermione, or Alex," Harry said.

"All right, our choices are down to Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes," Neville said.

"I'm going with all three," Harry said. He circled all three courses and put the list away. Neville shrugged and went with Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes. Blaise, like Harry, chose all three of the remaining options.

"Five galleons says Hermione goes with all five electives," Neville said suddenly, a wide grin on his face.

"No point Nev, we already know she's going to do it. But, ten galleons says she walks out on Divination," Harry said.

"You have a deal," Neville said, extending his hand. Blaise only shook his head at them.

XxXxXxX

It was three weeks later that a joyous Professor Sprout announced that Snape was in the process of brewing the mandrake draught that would restore all of the petrified victims. A cheer went up through the entire Great Hall and everyone celebrated. Then Dumbledore rose from his seat.

"This is truly wonderful news, and I myself have my own to give. Taking into account that the petrified students have missed a great deal of class, all end of year exams are canceled."

The cheering only grew louder. Harry could only smile, happy that Hermione and Alex were going to be fine.

The day passed with the students completely distracted from their lessons, with the exception of Snape and McGonagall, the other teachers simply allowed a study period for the students.

It wasn't until around eleven o'clock that night when all of the students were pulled out of bed for a late night feast, watching as one by one, the petrified victims returned. Nearly Headless Nick swooped into the Great Hall, just behind him came the last three, Hermione, Alex, and Penelope. In a rare show of abandon, Percy swept Penelope into his arms while Hermione and Alex were squeezed between their friends.

XxXxXxX

The rest of the year passed uneventfully. Slythering and Ravenclaw tied for the Quidditch cup, resulting in a tie-breaker game to be held a week later. There was word of professional scouts to be in attendance. This pushed the captains to push their teams harder as the day of the match approached.  
Ravenclaw was practicing nearly every afternoon that they could. If the pitch was unavailble, they practiced over the lake, dodging between the squid's waving tentacles as they went through manouevers and formations.

The tension between the two houses had never been higher. It was unpresedented. In recent history, all of the tension had always been between Slytherin and Gryffindor, with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw falling to the way side, but now, things had changed. Several Slytherins had earned detentions for trying to jinx the Ravenclaw team.

The day arrived and the entire school was abuzz with anticipation. The students and staff headed down to the stands as the two teams prepared themselves for the match. Sure enough, several professional scouts were sitting in the staff section of the stands.

"All right, today isn't going to be easy. Everyone knows that Slytherin likes to force penalties. But with team scouts out there, they should be better behaved," Adam said. "Now lets get out there and bring the Cup to the Eagle Nest."

The team cheered and they marched out onto the pitch. The roar of the crowd was defeaning to the team. They met Madam Hooch in the middle of the pitch, and just opposite them stood the Slytherin team.

"I want a clean game. There are professionals in the crowd, and if you have an hope of joining them, you'll act like a professional."

Hooch kicked the case holding the balls open and the bludgers and snitch zipped away. The players mounted their brooms and at Hooch's whistle, they were off. Harry took to the air, Malfoy not far behind. Lee Jordan's commentary on the match began.

"Chang takes the Quaffle, she passes to O'Neill, oh no, it's intercepted by Flint!"

A bludger struck the Slytherin, forcing him to drop the ball. Adam swooped in and grabbed it. In moments, Ravenclaw was ahead by ten points.  
Harry searched for the snitch, noticing Malfoy's father in the stands. The younger Malfoy was tailing Harry, letting him do all the searching.

"Lazy sod," Harry muttered. He stopped actively moving and began to hover. He knew Malfoy would get bored and leave him alone eventually. Sure enough a few minutes later, Malfoy flew off. Harry smirked and took to circling again.

The game continued on, both teams scoring against each other and leaving the scores dead even. It was all down to the team seekers by then. The game continued on and Harry spotted the snitch circling Ms. Malfoy's head. Harry grinned and went for it. Malfoy was just behind him.

Malfoy may have had the superior broom, but Harry's skill far outmatched the blonde. Harry was gripping the snitch in his hand within moments. The young Slytherin huffed behind him. One of the SLytherin beaters approached Malfoy and the bat was pulled from his grip. With a powerful swing, Malfoy struck a bludger at Harry.

There was no time for him to react, Harry was pushed from the broom and fell onto the stands, his fall only slightly cushioned by Flitwick.

Hooch had Malfoy by the ear in a heartbeat. Snape and the rest of the staff had risen from their seats and none of them looked happy. Malfoy was led to the grass of the pitch, Snape and his father not too far behind.

"Mr. Malfoy, you will be serving detention for six months for that stunt. Not only did you do that in front of your father, you could have cost any one of your teammates the opportunity to play for a professional team," Hooch said.

"But the year is over in three weeks!" Malfoy protested.

"Then your detentions will carry into next year. And for your irresponsibility, you are banned from playing on the Slythering house team," Snape snapped impatiently.

"You can't do that!"

"Yes I can Mr. Malfoy, and I can assure your father will not be protesting."

"But the team will never win without me."

"The team has been doing very well up until now Mr. Malfoy, I'm sure they'll survive without you. The fact that you cannot take a loss gracefully confirms that you do not have the right to play."

"Father! Say something!"

"I did not raise a child who hides behind his father's coattails," the elder Malfoy said. Malfoy sagged in disappointment.

Meanwhile, Harry had been carefully lifted off of the small charms professor and taken to the infirmary. Pompfrey tutted when the Headmaster brought Harry in. Harry was consious, but only just. "What happened this time?" she asked, whipping her wand out from the pocket of her apron.

"Mr. Malfoy took Slytherin's loss out on Mr. Potter here," Dumbledore responded. Pompfrey swished her wand and she sighed in relief.

"Only a cracked rib, I'll have you fixed up in a moment," she said, pointed her wand at Harry's side. The wand tip glowed and Harry winced as the bone knitted back together. "All right Mr. Potter, you'll still feel a little tender for a few days but that's all. Now get out of here. I better not see you until next fall."

"Aw, but you know I just can't stay away Madam Pompfrey," Harry said with a grin.

"Cheeky boy, get going," the matron said with a smile as she shooed Harry out of the Hospital Wing. Harry laughed and hurried away to change out of his Quidditch robes.

By the time he made it back to the Ravenclaw Tower, the party was already going strong. Harry accepted a drink from Hermione and a plate piled high with food from Alex. It was clear that the entire House had decided to do everything within their power to keep the Quidditch cup in Flitwick's office for as long as possible.

The party carried on into the afternoon and none of the Ravenclaws bothered to show up to dinner in the Great Hall. It didn't end until Flitwick entered the common room and forced everyone to bed at curfew.

XxXxXxX

Harry sat on the train watching the scenery flash by. He shared the bench with Hermione and Alex, while Blaise and Neville sat on the floor. Ginny was stretched out across the other bench, asleep. Mikan was curled up on Ginny's chest, purring lightly. The other's talked quietly so that they wouldn't wake her.

"What are your plans for the summer?" Hermione asked.

"We're not going anywhere this year, brother couldn't get enough vacation time," Alex said.

"Jon mentioned some kind of surprise in his last letter but wouldn't tell me anything else beyond that," said Harry. Neville and Blaise only shrugged.

"I hope Ginny gets better though. It's obvious she hasn't been sleeping well, even with potions," Alex said.

"Yeah, but she seems to be fine for now," Hermione said, noting Ginny's peaceful expression.

"Dumbledore said that he's arranging for a mind healer to speak to Ginny, hopefully there'll be some progress by the time school starts again," Harry told them.

The train ride continued in silence until it reached London and stopped at King's Cross. Ginny awoke as the train was coming to a halt and she sat up.

"Was I asleep that whole time?" she asked. Blaise nodded as he helped her stand. "Wow, I feel great right now."

"That's good," Harry said as he pulled her trunk from the rack above them and put it down. He and Neville brought the rest down and the disembarked from the train, stepping onto the platform.

The Weasleys stood together as they waited for their five children to come off the train. Ginny got a hug from each of her friends as they approached.

"Hello children, it's nice to see you all again," Molly said. Each of them got a hug form the woman. "Thank you for taking care of my Ginny."

"Mum!" Ginny exclaimed.

"It's okay Mrs. Weasley, we didn't mind," Blaise said. Molly smiled at them. Fed and George made their appearance, with a sulking Ron right behind them. Eventually, Percy appeared and the Weasleys stepped through the barrier with Harry, Hermione and Alex. Neville and Blaise having met up with family inside the barrier.

Hermione greeted her parets happily, while Alex located her father. Harry spotted both Petunia and Jon waiting for him.

"I thought only one of you was going to pick me up," Harry said.

"We have a surprise for you Harry, so that's why we're both here. Now come on, Dudley's waiting in the car," Petunia said.

"He's already home?"

"He go into trouble beating up a younger student and was suspended for the remainder of the year," Petunia said with a frown.

Jon took the trolley with Harry's trunk and they left the station headed for the car park. Jon loaded Harry's trunk into the boot and Harry slid into the back seat next to a complaining Dudley.

"Now you be quiet Dudley or you'll be eating dinner in your room for the rest of the month," Petunia threatened. Dudley shut up immediately. "Good, now then, let's get home then."

**Finally, I finished this thing. It ended up longer I'd intended, but I have no problem with that. I really wanted to finish second year in this chapter. So there it is.**


	19. Author's Note

This would have been posted almost a month ago, but I haven't been able to get to the login page until today.

I apologize now if any of you may have felt any amount of excitement when you received a notification in your e-mail stating that I had updated. This is in fact, not an update.

I'm in quite the quandary over this fic. My interest in it has waned over the months, and I feel like I don't want to finish it. But then there are moments where I sit down and keep on writing. I honeslty don't know what to do. I started taking a creative writing class at school that focuses on novel writing. Obviously, I have started writing an original fiction novel. One, with the help of the class, I will complete. It is partly because of that novel that I don't feel like writing fanfiction anymore. All of my time and effort goes into keeping up with the required pages that need to be turned in. Even during the summer, I don't feel like writing anything. I also have a tendency to get idea after idea for fanfiction, and I rush to write it down. But as it is, every one of those ideas remains incomplete because something else takes over.

While I don't want to abandon this fic, I just don't feel the urge to keep going with it, unfortunately.

Obviously, I haven't made a decision yet. But when I do, you'll know. I'll either put up a final notice, or you'll see a brand new chapter. I really am sorry about this though.


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